Questions & Answers about Er is vandaag niemand op kantoor.
Why do we use er is here?
Er is translates to "there is". Dutch uses it just like English does to state that someone or something exists (or in this case, doesn't exist). While you could technically say Niemand is vandaag op kantoor, using er is sounds much more natural.
Why does vandaag come before niemand?
In sentences starting with er, the actual subject of the sentence (the person or thing that is "there", which is niemand here) usually gets pushed further back in the sentence. The standard Dutch word order places time words like vandaag (today) before that subject.
Why do we say op kantoor instead of in kantoor or bij kantoor?
To say you are "at the office", Dutch uses the preposition op. Prepositions rarely translate perfectly word-for-word between languages, so it is best to memorize op kantoor as a fixed phrase.
Why isn't there a word for "not" in this sentence?
The word niemand means "nobody" or "no one", which already makes the sentence negative. Just like in English, Dutch does not use double negatives, so you never need to add niet (not) when you are already using niemand.