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Aquella promesa es muy bonita. Sin embargo, la realidad es distinta.

Aquella promesa es muy bonita. Sin embargo, la realidad es distinta.
That promise is very beautiful. However, the reality is different.
From Lesson 95:Expressing contrast (sin embargo)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Aquella promesa es muy bonita. Sin embargo, la realidad es distinta.

How exactly does sin embargo work here, and does it always mean "however"?
Sin embargo is a connector used to contrast two ideas, just like "however" in English. Here, it contrasts the beauty of the promise with the harshness of reality. You will almost always see it at the beginning of the second sentence or clause, usually followed by a comma.
Could I use pero (but) instead of sin embargo in this situation?
Yes, you could combine the ideas and say ...muy bonita, pero la realidad es distinta. Sin embargo is just a bit more formal and is perfect for starting a brand new sentence to strongly contrast with the previous one, exactly like choosing "however" over "but" in English.
Why use aquella instead of esa for "that promise"?
Both mean "that", but aquella is used for things that are further away in physical distance or time. By using aquella promesa, the speaker suggests the promise was made a long time ago, making it feel distant compared to the present reality.
Why does the sentence say la realidad instead of just realidad?
In Spanish, you generally must use a definite article (el, la, los, las) when talking about abstract concepts or things in a general sense. Since "reality" is a broad, general concept here, it requires the feminine article la.

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