What is the past participle of lie?

The past participle of lie is lain.

What are the three forms of lie?

The three forms are lie – lay – lain: base form, past simple and past participle.

Lie is irregular: its past simple is lay, not lied.

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

Base form

lie

/laɪ/

Past Simple

lay

/leɪ/

Past Participle

lain

/leɪn/

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

Base form · lie

On Sundays I like to lie in bed until noon.

Past Simple · lay

The cat lay in the sun all afternoon.

Past Participle · lain

The old letters had lain untouched for decades.

Present Simple	Past Simple	Present Perfect
I lie he / she / it lies	I lay	I have lain
Present Continuous:I am lying · he / she / it is lying

Lie belongs to the ABC group: all three forms are different (lie – lay – lain), so each form has to be learnt separately.

Past simple – lay: a finished action at a definite time in the past. It is used on its own, without an auxiliary.
Past participle – lain: 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 lie…? I didn’t lie.

Verbs with the same pattern

Which sentence is correct?

What is the past simple of lie?: The past simple of lie is lay.
What is the past participle of lie?: The past participle of lie is lain.
What are the three forms of lie?: The three forms are lie – lay – lain: base form, past simple and past participle.
Is lie a regular or an irregular verb?: Lie is irregular: its past simple is lay, not lied.