The concept of "pure Russian language" in our time is quite difficult to determine unambiguously. A series of borrowings, caused primarily by rapid technological progress, a developed dictionary of slang and jargon, which are sometimes so tightly woven into colloquial usage that they are also used out of place, and other factors pull our literature in different directions. It is not surprising that against this background many questions arise about the truthfulness of pronunciation. How to say: "lie" or "lay"? This is just one of them. But even he is very important.
Modern Russian language since childhood
Even in childhood, one could notice how adults correct children who say the word "lie", correcting it to "put". But is this true? You must admit that the "realm" sounds somehow not quite natural. How to: “box” or “lay”? In modern Russian, the verb “to lay down" is formally absent. It can be found in the Dahl dictionary, but even there it is not used in the infinitive. The rule can be deduced from here.
The rule
So how to say - “lie” or “lay”? The verb “put” is easy to find in any dictionary of the Russian language. It has the first conjugation; it is customary to attribute it to verbs of an imperfect form. You can get the plural, singular, use not only in the present, but also in the past tense.
I put an orange on a shelf. We put an orange on a shelf.
You put an orange on a shelf. You put an orange on a shelf.
He (she) puts an orange on a shelf. They put an orange on a shelf.
It is important to understand here that when choosing how to speak correctly - “lie down” or “lay down”, one must proceed from a concrete action and a word that will need to be obtained as a result. "Put" is used only without a prefix. In all other situations, it would be more correct to take the root-lay- and “collect” the word (“I put the book on my knees”, but “I put the book on my knees”).
Another important point - from the verb "put" you can not form a simple future tense. Here, the same root comes to the rescue - from the non-existent verb "to lay down" ("You will put this notebook in place").
But be careful when deciding how to “carry on” or “lodge”. As with any rule, there are some exceptions to this.
Exceptions to the Rule
There are interactive verbs. They denote some kind of repeating action (to apply or stack - everything that can be done several times in a certain period of time). In such cases, the verb “put” should be used in your speech (“I lay supper for every member of the family”).
It’s not so difficult to decide how to say “lay” or “lay” correctly. It is enough to be guided by the rule given above, and not to forget about exceptions. The only place the verb “to lay down" may be appropriate is in the literature, if you want to emphasize someone’s illiteracy when writing a dialogue in a literary text . Here is a pretty funny example:
"It is necessary to lay down, to lay down!" cried Kondrat, anxiously scratching his left heel with his hairy hand.
In oral form, this will more likely emphasize your personal ignorance of the Russian language. Be careful when using words. They are a reflection of our personality.