Conjugations › English › lay

lay

to place, to put down

English Irregular
focus All English Verbs force

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.

Jump to a tense

Present Past Future Present (-ing) Have done

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.

Want to actually remember these?

VerbPal drills "lay" in real English sentences using spaced repetition.

Try VerbPal Free

How to Conjugate "lay" in the Future Tense

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.
focus All English Verbs force

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.

Learn More About English Verbs

The Difference Between 'Do' and 'Make': The Ultimate Cheat Sheet

Master the difference between do and make in English with clear rules, common collocations, exceptions, and a printable-style cheat sheet for ESL learners.

How to Master English Irregular Verbs Without a Boring List

Learn English irregular verbs by pattern instead of memorising a boring list. Master no-change verbs, vowel-change verbs, and -ought verbs with examples, mnemonics, and active recall practice.

Mastering English Modal Verbs: Could, Should, and Would

Master English modal verbs could, should, and would with clear ESL-friendly explanations, real examples, and easy contrasts with can, shall, and will.

Master English verbs for real

Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.

Try VerbPal Free

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.