Questions & Answers about De zon is erg heet, maar de maan is niet heet.
Why does niet come right before heet in the second part of the sentence?
When you negate an adjective (a describing word) like heet, the negator niet is placed directly before that adjective.
Why do we use niet here instead of geen?
Does the word maar change the word order in the second half of the sentence?
No, maar (but) links two main clauses together without changing the word order of either one. That is why de maan is niet heet keeps the normal Subject-Verb order, exactly like the first half of the sentence.
Could I use heel instead of erg to mean "very" in the first clause?
Yes! Both erg and heel can mean "very" when placed before an adjective like heet. You will hear Dutch speakers use both interchangeably in sentences like this.