The verb to lie · Conjugation
Present Perfect of lie
The answer: have / has lain
B1
A past action with a link to the present.
Quick answer
The Present Perfect of the verb to lie is have / has lain.
Example: I have already lain on the sofa.
Full conjugation in the Present Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | have lain | I've lain |
| You | have lain | You've lain |
| He / She / It | has lain | He's / She's / It's lain |
| We | have lain | We've lain |
| You (pl.) | have lain | You've lain |
| They | have lain | They've lain |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I have seen him yesterday ❌
Do not use the Present Perfect with a finished time (yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago). Use the Past Simple: I saw him yesterday. With lie, use lay with a finished time and have lain without one.
2. I live here since 2020 ❌
Some situations started in the past and are still true now. For them, use the Present Perfect: I have lived here since 2020, I have known her for three years. Use since + a starting point (since Monday, since 2020). Use for + a length of time (for two weeks, for a long time).
3. I have lay ❌
After have or has, use the past participle, not the Past Simple: I have lain. Lay is the Past Simple of lie (be in a flat position), and lain is its past participle. Careful: lie (say something that is not true) is regular: I have lied.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate lie in the Present Perfect?+
Use have or has + the past participle lain (or lied, when lie means “say something that is not true”). Use has with he, she and it. Use have with I, you, we and they: I have lain, she has lain. Short forms: I've lain, she's lain.
What is the past participle of lie?+
The past participle of lie is lain or lied. You use it after have, has and had. It depends on the meaning. Lie (be in a flat position, as in bed) is irregular: lie, lay, lain. Lie (say something that is not true) is regular: lie, lied, lied.
When do you use the Present Perfect of lie?+
Use it for a past action that is connected to now, with no exact time. Use it for experiences in your life: Have you ever lain…? Use it for a recent action with a result now, often with just: I have just lain… Use it also for a situation that started in the past and continues: I have lived here since 2020.
What is the difference between I lay and I have lain?+
I lay (Past Simple) goes with a finished time: yesterday, last week, in 2020, two days ago. I have lain (Present Perfect) has no finished time, and the result is important now. Signal words: ever, never, already, just, yet.
How do you make the negative and the question of lie in the Present Perfect?+
Negative: I haven't lain, she hasn't lain. Question: put have or has before the subject: Have you lain…?, Has she lain…? The word yet often goes at the end of a negative or a question: Have you finished yet?
Related pages: lie Present Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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/lie/present-perfect
© 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.
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