יש הרבה אנשים באוניברסיטה היום.

there is

Breakdown of יש הרבה אנשים באוניברסיטה היום.

• היום: today
• ב: at
• אוניברסיטה: university

Questions & Answers about יש הרבה אנשים באוניברסיטה היום.

What does יש mean in this sentence?

יש is the Hebrew word used for there is or there are.

So:

• יש הרבה אנשים = There are many people

Hebrew uses יש for existence or presence, not a regular present-tense to be.

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Why doesn’t Hebrew use a separate word for there here?

In English, we say there are many people, where there does not really mean a place. It is just part of the structure.

Hebrew does not need that dummy there. It simply uses יש:

• יש הרבה אנשים = There are many people

So יש by itself already expresses the idea of there is/there are.

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Why is the sentence order יש הרבה אנשים... instead of starting with people?

This is the normal Hebrew pattern for existential sentences:

• יש + noun phrase + place/time
• יש הרבה אנשים באוניברסיטה היום

This literally works like:

• there are + many people + at the university + today

If you started with אנשים, that would usually create a different emphasis and would sound less like the basic neutral way to say it.

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What does הרבה mean here, and why isn’t it something like רבים?