Which is the more natural way to ask the reason for which no one's here?

Question

There are 2 sentences asking for a reason:

1. Why is there no one here?
2. Why is no one here?

They both seem grammatically correct, but which is more natural? Is there any nuance between the two?

Answer 1

The sentences:

1. Why is there no one here?
2. Why is no one here?
3. Why isn't anyone here?
4. Where is everyone?

Are all grammatically valid, and all are quite natural, and might well be said by a fluent speaker. They all carry essentially the same meaning. Sentences 2 and 4 might be used slightly more frequently, because they are shorter. But the difference will not be large, I believe. Any of these is perfectly acceptable.