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Structures that shift emphasis onto a specific element — very common in speech and sophisticated writing. Use this page to study the core Spanish words, English meanings, part-of-speech labels, and example sentences for this topic.
Review each word with examples and usage notes where available.
Lo que me sorprende es su falta de interés.
What surprises me is his lack of interest.
"Lo que + verb + es" = cleft for subject focus. The "lo que" clause is the subject; the focus comes after "es".
Lo que pasa es que no tengo suficiente tiempo.
The thing is that I don't have enough time.
Extremely common spoken filler used to introduce an explanation or excuse.
No puedo venir — es que tengo un compromiso.
I can't come — it's just that I have an obligation.
"Es que" softens a statement, explanation, or excuse. Very common in colloquial spoken Spanish.
Fue ella quien tomó la decisión final.
It was she who made the final decision.
"Fue + pronoun + quien/que" puts strong focus on the agent. "Quien" for people; "que" also possible.
Lo que necesito es más tiempo para pensar.
What I need is more time to think.
Cleft for object focus. Isolates the most important information at the end.
Fue aquí donde los conocí. — Fue entonces cuando lo comprendí.
It was here that I met them. — It was then that I understood it.
Cleft for circumstance: time, place, manner. "Fue + here/then/thus + donde/cuando/como".
Lo que importa es que todos estemos de acuerdo.
What matters is that we all agree.
Common cleft for values/priorities. Can take subjunctive after "es que" when expressing a desire.
No es que no quiera ir, sino que no puedo.
It's not that I don't want to go, but rather that I can't.
"No es que" + subjunctive corrects a misconception. "Sino que" (not "pero que") introduces the real reason.
Lo que más me gusta de España es la comida.
What I like most about Spain is the food.
Superlative cleft. Add "más/menos/mejor/peor" inside the "lo que" clause to add degree.
Ha sido esta mañana cuando he recibido la noticia.
It has been this morning that I received the news.
Present perfect + temporal cleft is common in Peninsular Spanish to emphasise when something happened.