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Er zijn niet veel mensen in het heelal.

Er zijn niet veel mensen in het heelal.
There are not many people in the universe.
From Lesson 131:Placement of the negator (niet)·Dutch

Questions & Answers about Er zijn niet veel mensen in het heelal.

Why do we use niet here instead of geen to negate a noun?
Normally, you use geen to mean 'no' or 'not any' before an indefinite noun. However, when the noun is paired with a specific quantifier like veel (many), you must use niet. So 'not many people' is always niet veel mensen.
Why does niet go right before veel mensen?
In Dutch, niet goes right before the specific word or phrase it negates. Because the sentence specifically negates the amount (veel mensen), niet must sit directly in front of it.
Could we use daar instead of er to say 'there are'?
Not in this sentence. Er zijn means 'there are' in the general sense of existence. Daar zijn points to a specific physical location, meaning 'over there are'. Since we are talking about general existence, er is the correct choice.
Why is the verb plural (zijn) if er starts the sentence?
Er is just a placeholder here. The actual subject of the sentence is the plural phrase veel mensen. The verb always matches the real subject, so it takes the plural form zijn.

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