Questions & Answers about Él nos promete el dinero.
Why does nos come before the verb instead of after it like in English?
In Spanish, object pronouns like nos (which means 'to us' here) are placed directly before the conjugated verb. So instead of saying 'He promises us', the sentence is built as 'He to us promises' (Él nos promete).
Is nos a direct or an indirect object in this sentence?
It is an indirect object. The direct object is what is being promised (el dinero), and the indirect object is who is receiving the promise (nos). You can think of nos promete as 'he promises to us'.
How does prometer fit into a lesson about verbs of transfer and communication?
Even though prometer (to promise) isn't physically handing a physical object over like dar (to give), it is a verb of communication. You are communicating a promise to someone, which is why it requires an indirect object pronoun just like decir (to tell).
Could I just say Él promete el dinero a nosotros without the nos?
No, you must include the nos. In Spanish, if an indirect object is involved, the pronoun (nos) is absolutely required. You can add a nosotros at the end for extra emphasis (Él nos promete el dinero a nosotros), but you can never drop the nos.