lie
How to Use Lie
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishEither "to rest in a horizontal position" or "to say something false" — two unrelated meanings that share the same spelling.
Lie (rest) / lay (past tense of lie, or "to place something") / lain (past participle) causes constant confusion: "I lie down today," "I lay down yesterday," "I have lain down." Separately, "lay" also means "to put something down" (present tense), which is a different verb entirely.
Word Forms
lay past tense, laid past tense, lain past tense, lien past tense, lied past tense, lie plural, lay plural, lies plural, lie plural, lied plural, lies plural, Lies plural, lies singular, lie singular, lay singular, layst singular, lyest singular, lyeth singular, lies singular, lie singular, lied singular, liest singular, liedst singular, lieth singular
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The cat likes to _____ in the sun by the window.
Etymology
From Old English licgan ("to lie down") and, separately, leogan ("to tell an untruth") — two originally distinct Old English verbs that happen to look alike in modern English.