"Leagann sí an pláta ar an mbord."

Translation: She sets the plate on the table.

[EricaDakin]

Why is 'she puts the plate on the table' not correct? Doesn't it mean the same thing?

[JohanaSchw]

"leagann si'...bord" Does it help the OP to remember The English phrase , "She sets...the table "? The accusative object is mid sentence. If you're thinking in English, "she sets the table with the plate " and other arrangements of cutlery .

[Knocksedan]

You can't translate úll as "pear", even though they're both green, sometimes red, roundish fruit that grow on trees.

"set" and "put" have some overlap in meaning, but they're not interchangeable, and leag and cuir have different applications too.

[thelastkilljoy94]

How can you tell whether 'ag' will come out to be 'on
or 'at'? I see many instances in which, in English, either word would be correct, but only one is accepted as a translation.

[galaxyrocker]

ag should always be 'at' and ar is 'on'