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Son las cifras las que nos importan ahora.

Son las cifras las que nos importan ahora.
It is the figures that matter to us now.
From Lesson 269:Sentences for emphasis (ser)·Spanish (Latin America)

Questions & Answers about Son las cifras las que nos importan ahora.

Why does this sentence start with son instead of es like in the English "It is"?
In English, we always start these sentences with the singular "It is" (It is the figures). In Spanish, the verb ser must agree with the element you are emphasizing. Since las cifras (the figures) is plural, you must use the plural son.
Why do we use las que here instead of just que?
In Spanish cleft sentences, when you focus on a noun, the relative pronoun usually agrees with that noun in gender and number. Since las cifras is feminine and plural, we use las que.
Could I just say Las cifras nos importan ahora? What does this longer structure add?
You absolutely could! The shorter version simply means "The figures matter to us now." Using the cleft structure (Son... las que...) adds strong emphasis. It clarifies that it is specifically the figures, and not something else, that matter right now.
Why is the verb importan plural?
The verb importar (to matter) works just like gustar. The things that matter are the grammatical subject of the sentence. Because las que (referring to the plural las cifras) is the subject doing the "mattering" to us (nos), the verb takes the plural form importan.

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