ложиться vs лечь

lozhitsya vs lech — lie down regularly/in progress vs lie down once

What it really means

Ложи́ться is imperfective and describes lying down as a process, a repeated bedtime routine, or a general action. Ле́чь is perfective and presents one completed movement into a lying position. Ложиться is reflexive, while лечь is the corresponding non-reflexive perfective form.

Use ложиться for habits such as going to bed at eleven or for the action in progress. Use лечь for a one-time request or completed change of position: "Ляг на кровать" (Lie down on the bed).

Examples in natural speech

Я ложусь спать в одиннадцать.
I go to bed at eleven.
Он ложится на диван.
He is lying down on the sofa.
Ляг и отдохни.
Lie down and rest.
Она легла рано.
She went to bed early.
Кот лёг на ковёр.
The cat lay down on the carpet.

Common mistakes

Do not confuse лечь with лежать. Лечь means lie down, a change of position; лежать means lie or be lying, a state. Ложиться is the imperfective partner of the change-of-position verb лечь.

Memory tip

Ложиться is getting into a lying position; лечь is lying down once.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between ложиться and лечь?

Ложиться is imperfective for lying down as a process, habit, or routine. Лечь is perfective for one completed movement into a lying position.

What is the difference between лечь and лежать?

Лечь means lie down or go to bed, while лежать means be lying or remain in a lying position.

How do you say go to bed in Russian?

Use "ложиться спать" for the routine or general action and "лечь спать" for going to bed once, often viewed as a completed plan.

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