lie

Everyday

1. To lie is to rest or be flat on something, like a bed or the ground. tree →
2. To lie is also to be in a place: the town lies by the sea. tree →
3. To lie is to say something you know is not true, to trick someone. tree →
4. A lie is a thing said that the speaker knows is false. tree →
5. To lie up can also mean to hide away and stay out of sight. tree →

In the lessons

In maths problems it is mostly a word of the story; sometimes it places things lying somewhere to be counted, or it comes in true/false and «who is lying» logic puzzles. In everyday life and safety: telling lies breaks trust; a white lie is a small kind one; lie down when you feel faint. In stories, a lie often starts the trouble.

Examples

• 6 cats lie on the rug. tree →
• 12 books lie on the table. tree →
• One of the children lied about the score. tree →
• Lie down on the mat and rest. tree →
• The dog is lying in the sun. tree →
• He told a lie about breaking the window. tree →
• Telling the truth is better than telling lies. tree →
• The village lies at the foot of a hill. tree →
• Yesterday I lay in bed until nine. tree →
• Now, where does he lie up? tree →

Note

Two verbs with different past forms: lie (rest) → lay, lain; lie (not tell the truth) → lied, lied. Both have «lying». Trap: the past of «lie» (rest) is «lay», the same as the word «lay» (put down: lay the book on the table). A liar is a person who lies. Maths: usually no clue; it places things to be counted.

In Jewish tradition

In the Torah "lie with" is an old way of saying to have marital relations, and "lie" in "nor lie one to another" means to speak falsely. "Lie carnally" means a bodily, forbidden union.

Interpretation. Jewish tradition reads the laws in Leviticus 18 as rules of holiness for family life. It reads the command against lying and deceit as a duty of honest dealing between people.

Examples

• Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination. (Torah LEV.18.22, JPS 1917) tree →
• Ye shall not steal; neither shall ye deal falsely, nor lie one to another. (Torah LEV.19.11, JPS 1917) tree →
• And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour's wife, to defile thyself with her. (Torah LEV.18.20, JPS 1917) tree →
• They lie down alike in the dust, and the worm covereth them. (Writings JOB.21.26, JPS 1917) tree →
• It is all full of lies and rapine; the prey departeth not. (Prophets NAM.3.1, JPS 1917) tree →
• But ye are plasterers of lies, ye are all physicians of no value. (Writings JOB.13.4, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Two verbs with different past forms: lie (rest) → lay, lain; lie (not tell the truth) → lied, lied. Both have «lying». Trap: the past of «lie» (rest) is «lay», the same as the word «lay» (put down: lay the book on the table). A liar is a person who lies. Maths: usually no clue; it places things to be counted.