The past tense of "lie"?

nick   Sat Jun 27, 2009 1:15 am GMT
Is the past tense of "lie" supposed to be "lay"? I heard people say "lied". So we use "lied" in the daily life?
American   Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:07 am GMT
You told a lie?
-Yes, I lied.
CID   Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:35 am GMT
There are two verbs :

(1) to lie[1] = to be in a reclined state

(2) to lie[2] = to tell a lie, to make false statements

lie[1] is tensed thusly: I lie (present), I lay (past), I have lain (pres perfect)

lie[2] is tensed so: I lie (pres), I lied (past), I have lied (pres perf)
nick   Sat Jun 27, 2009 3:16 am GMT
Great.Thanks.
Another Guest   Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:11 am GMT
And the present particle for both is "lying". Not "lieing".
UknowN   Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:39 pm GMT
It should be also added that there's such a word like lay wich make it even more confusing. Past tense of lie[1] coincide with Present Simple of lay.
So all in all we have:

(1) to lie[1] = to be in a reclined state

(2) to lie[2] = to tell a lie, to make false statements

(3) to lay = put (something) down gently or carefully

lie[1] is tensed thusly: I lie (present), I lay (past), I have lain (pres perfect)

lie[2] is tensed so: I lie (pres), I lied (past), I have lied (pres perf)

lay is tensed so: I lay (pres), I laid (past), I have laid (pres perf)