The English verb "lay" means "to place, to put down" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "lay" across all 5 tenses. New to English verbs? Start with the English verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "lay" in the Present Tense
Simple Present Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | lay |
| you | you (singular) | lay |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | lays |
| we | we | lay |
| you | you (plural) | lay |
| they | they | lay |
She lays the baby in the crib.
Ela coloca o bebê no berço.
How to Conjugate "lay" in the Past Tense
Simple Past Actions that happened in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | laid |
| you | you (singular) | laid |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | laid |
| we | we | laid |
| you | you (plural) | laid |
| they | they | laid |
She laid her keys on the counter.
Ella puso sus llaves en el mostrador.
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Simple Future Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | will lay |
| you | you (singular) | will lay |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | will lay |
| we | we | will lay |
| you | you (plural) | will lay |
| they | they | will lay |
She will lay the baby down.
Ella acostará al bebé.
How to Conjugate "lay" in the Present (-ing) Tense
Present Continuous Actions happening right now| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | am laying |
| you | you (singular) | are laying |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | is laying |
| we | we | are laying |
| you | you (plural) | are laying |
| they | they | are laying |
She is laying the baby in bed.
Ella está acostando al bebé en la cama.
How to Conjugate "lay" in the Have done Tense
Present Perfect Actions completed with present relevance| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| I | I | have laid |
| you | you (singular) | have laid |
| he/she/it | he/she/it | has laid |
| we | we | have laid |
| you | you (plural) | have laid |
| they | they | have laid |
He has laid his plans for the trip.
Él ha preparado sus planes para el viaje.
Frequently Asked Questions About "lay"
Is "lay" regular or irregular in English?
"Lay" is an irregular English verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "lay" mean in English?
The English verb "lay" means "to place, to put down" in English.
How do you conjugate "lay" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Simple Present): I → lay, you → lay, he/she/it → lays, we → lay, you → lay, they → lay.
How many tenses does "lay" have in English?
"Lay" is conjugated across 5 tenses in English: Present, Past, Future, Present (-ing), Have done.
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