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Lay past tense: laid, laid

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Lay is an irregular English verb: the past simple of lay is laid and the past participle is laid. Learn the three forms together — lay – laid – laid.

Verb forms

Base form

lay

/leɪ/

Past Simple

laid

/leɪd/

Past Participle

laid

/leɪd/

Press the speaker button to hear each form. The transcription under each word shows the British pronunciation (IPA).

Example sentences

Base form · lay

Hens lay eggs almost every day.

Past Simple · laid

He laid the baby gently in the cot.

Past Participle · laid

The foundations have been laid for the new building.

Key tenses

Present SimplePast SimplePresent Perfect
I lay
he / she / it lays
I laidI have laid
Present Continuous:I am laying  ·  he / she / it is laying
Learn when to use these forms:Past Simple lesson →Present Perfect lesson →

Grammar guide

Lay belongs to the ABB group: the past simple and the past participle are the same (laid). This is the largest group of irregular verbs — you only need to learn one past form.

  • Past simple – laid: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
  • Past participle – laid: after have, has or had (present perfect, past perfect) and after be in the passive voice.
  • Questions and negatives in the past simple use did + the base form: Did you lay…? I didn’t lay.

Verbs with the same pattern

have — had — hadsay — said — saidget — got — got/gottenmake — made — madethink — thought — thoughtfind — found — found

Quick quiz

Which sentence is correct?

Questions about lay

What is the past simple of lay?
The past simple of lay is laid.
What is the past participle of lay?
The past participle of lay is laid.
What are the three forms of lay?
The three forms are lay – laid – laid: base form, past simple and past participle.
Is lay a regular or an irregular verb?
Lay is irregular: its past simple is laid, not layed.
Lay past tense: laid, laid — irregular verb forms