To lay en français : traduction et définition
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Traduction et définition
to lay (a book) (on a table): poser (un livre) (sur une table)
Attention à ne pas confondre avec to lie (down) "s'allonger" (I was lying on the lawn. J'étais allongé sur la pelouse.)
The fork is laying on the TV. La fourchette est posée sur la télévision.
Notons que ce verbe est irrégulier :
I lay / I laid / I have laid
to lay the table (UK): mettre la table, le couvert
The expression to set the table is used in American English.
Pronunciation examples
UK: We need to lay the table - Uncle Bingo is coming to dinner.
US: He laid the book down on the table. That reminds me, I really need to get laid.
Exemples
- "You still need to clean your room and lay the table for supper!"
- "Just lay your head on my shoulder and try to sleep for a little while."
Exercice 1
"Just lay your head on my shoulder and try to sleep for a little while."
Which of the following sentences use(s) "lay" correctly?
There may be more than one correct answer!
Which of the following sentences use(s) "lay" correctly?
There may be more than one correct answer!
"Just lay your head on my shoulder and try to sleep for a little while."
Which of the following sentences use(s) "lay" correctly?
There may be more than one correct answer!
Which of the following sentences use(s) "lay" correctly?
There may be more than one correct answer!
This sentence uses the verb "to lay" correctly, in the same way that Donna uses it in the dialogue. One of the primary meanings of the verb "to lay" is to put something down, or to place something on a surface. In this example, the workers are putting cables down in the road, which is disrupting traffic. In the dialogue, Donna says to Bruno "Just lay your head on my shoulder" which means she wants Bruno to gently place his head on her shoulder.
This is incorrect. Do not confuse the verb "to lay" (which means "to put down") with the verb "to lie" (which means to be in a horizontal position of rest). In this example "I was lying (on the bed)" would be correct.
This is the incorrect past form of the verb "to lay". "To lay (an egg)" means to produce an egg from the inside of the body. All female birds produce (or "lay") eggs, most notably domestic poultry such as chickens or geese. Please note, however, that the past tense form of the verb "to lay" is the irregular "laid": lay/laid/laid.
This is correct. One of the primary meanings of the verb "to lay" is to put something down, or to place something on a surface. In this example, "to lay the table" is a British expression which means to put cutlery and crockery (plates, forks, knives etc.) on the table in preparation for a meal (the American English equivalent is "to set the table" and this is much more common in the US).
Exercice 2
Fill in the blanks below with the correct form of the verb:
It was past midnight when Susie arrived at her apartment. She a lemon candle and down on the warm blanket on her bed. The day through her mind like a roulette wheel. So many stupid men, so much silly talk. Tomorrow she would something different. She would up singing and leave the house with a bag full of candy and a heart full of hope.
It was past midnight when Susie arrived at her apartment. She a lemon candle and down on the warm blanket on her bed. The day through her mind like a roulette wheel. So many stupid men, so much silly talk. Tomorrow she would something different. She would up singing and leave the house with a bag full of candy and a heart full of hope.
Fill in the blanks below with the correct form of the verb:
It was past midnight when Susie arrived at her apartment. She [not done] lit 1 a lemon candle and [not done] lay 2 down on the warm blanket on her bed. The day [not done] spun 3 through her mind like a roulette wheel. So many stupid men, so much silly talk. Tomorrow she would [not done] do 4 something different. She would [not done] wake 5 up singing and leave the house with a bag full of candy and a heart full of hope.
It was past midnight when Susie arrived at her apartment. She [not done] lit 1 a lemon candle and [not done] lay 2 down on the warm blanket on her bed. The day [not done] spun 3 through her mind like a roulette wheel. So many stupid men, so much silly talk. Tomorrow she would [not done] do 4 something different. She would [not done] wake 5 up singing and leave the house with a bag full of candy and a heart full of hope.
1 lit: Because the first sentence (it was past midnight) tells us that this action takes place in the past, we must use the past simple tense (preterit). To light: I light / I lit, lighted / I have lit, lighted. 'Lit' is more common than 'lighted' in the preterit and past participle forms.
2 lay: Because the first sentence (it was midnight) tells us that this action takes place in the past, we must use the past simple tense (preterit). To lie: I lie / I lay / I have lain. Be careful! Don't confuse 'lie' (as in lie down on a bed) with 'lie' (as in to tell a lie or untruth), which is a regular verb.
3 spun: Because the first sentence tells us that we are talking about the past, we must use the simple past tense. To spin: I spin / I spun / I have spun. 'To spin' means 'to rotate' in this context.
4 do: Because the main verb (to do) is preceded by the auxiliary 'would' here, we must use the infinitive form of the verb afterwards (without 'to'). Note that 'would' is used here to describe a future event in the past.
5 wake: Because the main verb (to wake) is preceded by 'would' here, we must use the simple infinitive form (wake) without the marker 'to'. Note that 'would' is used to express the conditional.
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