To lay means to put or place something down carefully in a particular position. When you lay a book on the table, you're setting it down flat. A hen lays eggs by placing them in a nest. Construction workers lay bricks by positioning each one precisely to build a wall.

This word often confuses people because it sounds similar to “lie,” which means to recline or rest. Here's the key difference: you lay something else down (it takes an object), but you lie down yourself (no object needed). You lay your backpack on the floor, then you lie down on the couch to rest.

The past tense makes this even trickier: yesterday you laid your backpack down, but yesterday you lay on the couch. Many adults mix these up, so don't feel bad if it takes practice.

Lay can also mean to prepare or establish something, like when a chef lays the table for dinner or when someone lays the groundwork for a project by doing the early planning work. When someone says they're laying plans, they're carefully setting up their strategy.