KudoZ home » English » Marketing / Market Research

laying or lying

English translation: lying

Login or register (free and only takes a few minutes) to participate in this question.

You will also have access to many other tools and opportunities designed for those who have language-related jobs
(or are passionate about them). Participation is free and the site has a strict confidentiality policy.

17:56 Oct 12, 2010

English to English translations [PRO]
Marketing - Marketing / Market Research

English term or phrase: laying or lying

Hi,

In a text I'm translating into Spanish, the Return Policy goes:

Any item exchange/replacement request must be made within 2-3 months (i.e. item was ***laying*** in a display-case and broke).

Shouldn't it be "lying"? Thanks!!!

Maria

BAmary KudoZ activity Questions: 176 (none open) (6 closed without grading) Answers: 1022
Local time: 21:20

English translation:lying

Explanation:
Yes, it most certainly should be lying! However, even native speakers often confuse these verbs.

Selected response from:

Deborah Kolosova
Local time: 18:20

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

Summary of answers provided

5 +12

lying

Deborah Kolosova

5 +3

yes. sure

Komeil Zamani Babgohari

Answers

2 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +12

lying

Explanation:
Yes, it most certainly should be lying! However, even native speakers often confuse these verbs.

Deborah Kolosova
Local time: 18:20
Works in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 4

Grading comment

Selected automatically based on peer agreement.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Carol Gullidge: yes, you lay a table and lay down your arms, but lie on a bed, lie (yourself) down, etc. A very common mistake, as you mention

3 mins

agree

trixiemck: definitely. "To lay" is a transitive verb always followed by a direct object while "to lie" is intransitive

6 mins

agree

Patricia Rosas

14 mins

agree

Veronika McLaren: Yes, one of those "grrr" confusions by native speakers!

26 mins

agree

JaneTranslates: Yes. My parents spoke so well that I never had to study in grammar class--except for "lie" and "lay." trixiemck's transitive/intransitive distinction is what I would have posted.

37 mins

agree

Peter Skipp

42 mins

agree

Tony M

1 hr

agree

Damian Hosford: that's right!

3 hrs

agree

Anna Herbst: Transitive - intransitive as trixiemck says. This seems to be more of an American problem - not a commonly made mistake in Australia.