Funcționarul autentifică semnătura și verifică copia legalizată.

Because Romanian usually puts the definite article at the end of the noun, not before it.

• funcționar = clerk / official
• funcționarul = the clerk / the official

This is one of the biggest differences from English. Instead of a separate word like the, Romanian attaches it to the noun:

• băiat = boy
• băiatul = the boy
• funcționar = official
• funcționarul = the official

So funcționarul is the subject and means the official.

For the same general reason: they are definite nouns.

• semnătură = signature
• semnătura = the signature
• copie = copy
• copia = the copy

In Romanian, the definite article changes depending on the noun’s gender and ending.

Here you see:

• feminine noun in -ă → often definite -a
• feminine noun in -ie → often definite -a added in the definite form, giving copia

So the sentence is talking about specific things:

• the signature
• the legalized copy

Autentifică is the 3rd person singular present tense of the verb a autentifica.

That means it matches a singular subject such as:

• el = he
• ea = she
• funcționarul = the official

So:

• funcționarul autentifică = the official authenticates / certifies

The same is true for verifică, from a verifica:

• funcționarul verifică = the official verifies / checks

Romanian often uses the present tense in places where English might also use the simple present, especially for procedures, instructions, or formal descriptions.

Because Romanian, like English, does not need to repeat the subject when the same subject does both actions.

So:

• Funcționarul autentifică semnătura și verifică copia legalizată.

means:

• The official authenticates the signature and verifies the legalized copy.

The subject funcționarul applies to both verbs:

• autentifică
• verifică

If you repeated it, it would sound more heavy or emphatic:

• Funcționarul autentifică semnătura și funcționarul verifică copia legalizată.

That is grammatical, but unnecessary in normal use.

Legalizată is an adjective modifying copia. It means legalized / notarized / certified, depending on context.

It comes after the noun because in Romanian, adjectives often come after the noun:

• copia legalizată = the legalized copy

Its form is feminine singular because it agrees with copia, which is feminine singular.

Agreement here works like this:

• noun: copia → feminine singular
• adjective: legalizată → feminine singular

If the noun changed, the adjective would also change:

• copii legalizate = legalized copies

So the adjective is shaped to match the noun it describes.

These letters are very important in Romanian.

• ț = like ts in cats
  • funcționarul ≈ funk-tsyo-NA-rul
• ă = a short central vowel, similar to the a in sofa
  • semnătură
• ș = sh
  • și = and
• â / î = a central vowel that does not exist exactly in English
  • autentifică, semnătura, legalizată

A rough pronunciation guide for the whole sentence:

Funcționarul autentifică semnătura și verifică copia legalizată.
≈ funk-tsyo-NA-rul ow-ten-tee-fee-KUH sem-nuh-TU-ruh sh ver-ree-FEE-kuh KO-pya le-ga-lee-ZA-tuh

This is only approximate, but it helps an English speaker get started.

The word order here is the most neutral and natural one:

• Funcționarul = subject
• autentifică / verifică = verbs
• semnătura / copia legalizată = objects

So it follows a basic subject–verb–object pattern.

Romanian word order is somewhat flexible, though. You can change it for emphasis, style, or contrast. For example:

• Semnătura o autentifică funcționarul.
• Copia legalizată o verifică funcționarul.

These are more marked and less neutral. A learner should treat the original sentence as the normal default pattern.

Because copia legalizată is definite: the legalized copy.

Compare:

• o copie legalizată = a legalized copy
• copia legalizată = the legalized copy

So:

• copie is the basic dictionary form
• copia is the definite form

Romanian often uses the definite form when referring to a specific known document, object, or item in an official context.

They are related but not identical actions.

• a autentifica = to authenticate / certify as genuine
• a verifica = to verify / check

So in this sentence, the official is doing two different things:

1. authenticating the signature
2. checking the legalized copy

This distinction is common in administrative or legal Romanian, where each action has a precise meaning.

Yes, very much so. It sounds administrative, legal, or bureaucratic.

Words like:

• funcționarul
• autentifică
• verifică
• copia legalizată

belong to a formal register. You would expect this kind of sentence in:

• government offices
• notary contexts
• legal procedures
• official instructions or document descriptions

A learner should recognize that this is not casual everyday conversation, even though the grammar is completely normal.

No, that would sound wrong in standard Romanian.

Romanian usually needs proper article marking here. In this sentence, the nouns are specific and definite, so the definite forms are expected:

• funcționarul
• semnătura
• copia legalizată

If you want indefinite meaning, you would normally use indefinite articles:

• Un funcționar autentifică o semnătură și verifică o copie legalizată.

That means something more like:

• An official authenticates a signature and verifies a legalized copy.

So article marking is not optional in the way some English learners might first imagine.