Irregular verb
The verb to lay
lay → laid → laid
B1Meaning: to put something down flat; to produce an egg · Type: irregular · Frequency: Top 100 English verbs
Key points to remember
- Present Simple:
I/you/we/they lay·he/she/it lays - Past Simple:
laid(not layed!) - Past participle:
laid - -ing form:
laying
Conjugation of the verb to lay
Present Simple
| I | lay |
| You | lay |
| He / She / It | lays |
| We | lay |
| You (pl.) | lay |
| They | lay |
Past Simple
| I | laid |
| You | laid |
| He / She / It | laid |
| We | laid |
| You (pl.) | laid |
| They | laid |
All the forms of the verb to lay
Present Simple
Full pagelay / lays
“I lay the book on the table.”
See the pagePresent Continuous
Full pageam / is / are laying
“I am laying the table right now.”
See the pagePast Simple
Full pagelaid
“She laid the book on the table.”
See the pagePast Continuous
Full pagewas / were laying
“I was laying the table when the phone rang.”
See the pagePresent Perfect
Full pagehave / has laid
“I have already laid the table.”
See the pagePast Perfect
Full pagehad laid
“She had already laid the table when I arrived.”
See the pageFuture Simple
Full pagewill lay
“I will lay the table tomorrow.”
See the pageGoing to Future
Full pageam / is / are going to lay
“I'm going to lay the table this weekend.”
See the pageConditional (would)
Full pagewould lay
“I would lay the table if I had time.”
See the pageHow to use to lay
1. Putting something down
- Lay the book on the table.
2. Laying eggs
- Hens lay eggs.
3. Lay the table (UK)
Lay the table means to put plates, knives and forks on the table before a meal.
- Lay the table for dinner.
A common mistake
1. I lay on the bed every afternoon ❌
Lay needs an object: you lay something somewhere. Lie has no object: I lie on the bed every afternoon. It is tricky, because the Past Simple of lie is lay: Yesterday, I lay on the bed. So: lie → lay → lain, and lay → laid → laid.
What's next?
You can conjugate to lay. Now say it out loud.
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Frequently asked questions
What is the past simple of lay?+
The Past Simple is laid (with i, not y!). The past participle is also laid. Lay → laid → laid. Other verbs in -ay do the same: pay → paid, say → said.
What is the difference between lay and lie?+
Lay = to put something down. It needs an object: I lay the book on the table. Lie = to be flat, for example on a bed. It has no object: I lie on the bed. This is one of the most common confusions in English.
What does lay an egg mean?+
Lay an egg means to produce an egg: Hens lay eggs. In informal English, it can also mean to fail completely: The show laid an egg (nobody liked it).
Is it lay the table or set the table?+
Both mean to put plates, knives and forks on the table before a meal. Lay the table is British English. Set the table is American English, and people in the UK use it too.
Is it laid or layed?+
Say laid. Lay is irregular: the y becomes i. Layed does not exist, but it is a very common mistake. Other verbs in -ay: pay → paid, say → said.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/lay
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.