Copia legalizată este în dosar.

Copia means the copy. Romanian often attaches the definite article to the end of the noun, instead of putting a separate word like the in front.

• copie = a copy
• copia = the copy

So in this sentence, copia legalizată means the certified copy.

Legalizată is an adjective meaning certified, notarized, or legally authenticated, depending on context.

It comes from the verb a legaliza = to legalize / to certify officially.

So:

• copie legalizată = a certified copy
• copia legalizată = the certified copy

In official Romanian, this is a very common phrase in administrative and legal contexts.

Because it agrees with copia, which is:

• feminine
• singular
• definite

Romanian adjectives usually agree with the noun in gender and number.

Here are some matching forms:

• copie legalizată = a certified copy
• copii legalizate = certified copies

So legalizată is the feminine singular form, matching copia.

In this sentence, este means is and it is normally expressed.

• Copia legalizată este în dosar. = The certified copy is in the file.

Romanian does sometimes omit este in certain styles, especially informal notes, headlines, or elliptical speech, but in a normal full sentence like this, keeping este is standard and natural.

So for learners, the safest version is:

• X este Y = X is Y

În means in, and dosar usually means file, folder, or case file, depending on context.

So în dosar means in the file or in the case file.

A useful thing to notice: after many prepositions in Romanian, the noun may appear without the definite article even though English uses the.

So:

• în dosar can naturally mean in the file
• not necessarily in a file

In administrative language, this often refers to the application file, the paperwork file, or the case file already understood from context.

Both can exist, but they are used a bit differently.

• în dosar is very common in official or administrative Romanian and often means in the file in a general institutional sense.
• în dosarul is more explicitly definite: in the specific file.

Compare:

• Actul este în dosar. = The document is in the file.
• Actul este în dosarul de admitere. = The document is in the admissions file.

So în dosar is perfectly natural and common, especially in bureaucratic language.

The normal, neutral word order is:

• Copia legalizată este în dosar.

This is the most straightforward way to say it.

But Romanian word order is somewhat flexible. For emphasis, you could also hear:

• În dosar este copia legalizată.

That puts more focus on where it is.

Still, for a learner, the original order is the best default: subject + este + place/location.

A rough pronunciation guide is:

KO-pee-a le-ga-li-ZA-tuh YES-te uhn do-SAR

A few details:

• c before o sounds like k: copia
• g before a is a hard g: legalizată
• ă is a short central vowel, something like a relaxed uh
• î in în is a distinct Romanian vowel, pronounced deep and central; English has no exact equivalent

Word stress:

• coPIa
• legaliZAtă
• ESte
• doSAR

Sometimes, but not always.

Dosar can mean:

• file
• folder
• case file
• dossier

In official contexts, it often refers to a set of documents submitted together or kept together in administration.

So in this sentence, dosar probably means something like:

• the file
• the application file
• the case file

rather than just a physical office folder in the everyday sense.

Yes, but it changes the meaning.

• Copia legalizată este în dosar. = The certified copy is in the file.
• O copie legalizată este în dosar. = A certified copy is in the file.

So:

• copia = definite, a specific known copy
• o copie = indefinite, one certified copy

Romanian makes this distinction very clearly.

Romanian usually does not need an explicit subject pronoun when the subject noun is already present.

Here, the subject is already stated:

• Copia legalizată

So adding ea would be unnecessary in a neutral sentence.

Romanian works like this very often:

• Documentul este aici. = The document is here.
• Cererea este completă. = The application is complete.

Subject pronouns are mainly used for emphasis, contrast, or clarity, not by default.