Learn Hardcore Spanish (Spain): Nos cobran después de recoger los platos y quitar las tazas. - They charge us after picking up the plates and removing the cups.

It’s an implicit “they” (e.g., the waiters/restaurant staff). Spanish normally drops subject pronouns because the verb ending shows the subject. You could say Ellos nos cobran, but it’s usually unnecessary.

What does nos mean here, and what kind of pronoun is it?

Nos means “to us/for us” and is an indirect object pronoun. With cobrar, the common pattern is “cobrar(le) a alguien”: e.g., Nos cobran = “They charge us.”

Why is it cobran (plural) and not cobra?

Because the implied subject is plural (“they”). If you meant one person (e.g., “the waiter”), you’d use Nos cobra.

Does the present tense in Nos cobran mean now, the future, or a habit?

It can be any of these, depending on context:

Habit: “At this place, they charge us after clearing.”
Near future: “They’ll charge us after they clear.”
Present: “They’re charging us now after clearing.”

Why is it después de + infinitive (e.g., después de recoger)?

After the preposition después de, Spanish uses a noun or an infinitive, not a gerund. So you say después de recoger, not “después de recogiendo.” The “de” is required in Spain in this structure.

When would I use después de que instead, and which mood follows it?

Use después de que + clause when you want a full clause (often with a different subject or more explicit timing):

Future/uncertain: Después de que recojan… nos cobrarán (subjunctive).
Past/completed: Después de que recogieron… nos cobraron (indicative).

Are recoger and quitar the most natural verbs in Spain for clearing a table?

They’re fine, but for restaurant staff retirar is very idiomatic: Nos cobran después de retirar los platos y las tazas. At home you might also hear levantar la mesa.

Should I use the same verb for both nouns for style?

You can. Parallel wording sounds neat: …después de retirar/recoger los platos y las tazas. Your version with two different verbs is still correct.

Why not use sacar here?

In Spain, sacar usually means “to take out/bring out (from somewhere),” e.g., sacar los platos de la cocina. For clearing the table, prefer retirar, recoger, or quitar.

What’s the difference between Nos cobran and Nos traen la cuenta?

Nos traen la cuenta = they bring us the bill (delivery of the bill).
Nos cobran = they charge us/collect payment (the act of charging).

Should I say cobrar or cargar (as in charging a card)?

In restaurants, use cobrar for “to charge (a customer).” Cargar is common with accounts/cards: Nos cargaron 10 € en la tarjeta (they posted/charged 10€ to the card).

Can the pronoun nos move position?

With a conjugated verb: before it → Nos cobran.
With a periphrasis: either place → Nos van a cobrar / Van a cobrarnos.
After a preposition + infinitive: attached to the infinitive → después de quitarnos…. Don’t write “cobrannos” (except in affirmative commands like cóbranos, which is rare here).

What’s the nuance of quitar las tazas vs quitarnos las tazas?

Quitar las tazas simply “remove the cups.” Quitarnos las tazas adds the indirect object “from us,” highlighting they’re taking our cups away. It’s optional emphasis and natural in Spanish: …después de retirarnos las tazas.

Are there synonyms for después de? What about tras or luego de?

Tras is a concise, common synonym in Spain: Tras retirar los platos…
Luego de is more Latin American; in Spain, después de or tras is more typical.

Is después de haber recogido… correct?

Yes. Después de haber recogido/quitar emphasizes completed prior action. Often después de recoger/quitar is enough; the “haber + participle” is more explicit or formal.

Why not use a Spanish -ing form: “después de recogiendo…”?

Spanish gerunds (-ando/-iendo) can’t function as nouns after prepositions the way English -ing does. Use the infinitive: después de recoger/quitar.

Any pronunciation tips (Spain)?

tazas: the “z” is “th” → “TA-thas.”
recoger: “g” before “e” sounds like a harsh “h” → “re-ko-HER.”
cobran: stress on the first syllable → “CO-bran.”