Los metadatos identifican el archivo digital.

Because metadatos is plural: it means metadata as a set of data elements. In Spanish, metadato is the singular form, and metadatos is the plural.

So:

• el metadato = one metadata item
• los metadatos = the metadata

This is different from English, where metadata is often treated as an uncountable noun. In Spanish, it is very commonly treated as a normal countable noun, especially in technical language.

Because the subject is plural: los metadatos.

In Spanish, the verb must agree with the subject:

• el metadato identifica = the metadata item identifies
• los metadatos identifican = the metadata identify

Here, identifican is the third person plural form of identificar in the present tense.

Yes, metadatos is masculine plural, which is why it takes los.

You can see this from the article:

• los = masculine plural
• las = feminine plural

So los metadatos tells you the noun is being treated as masculine plural.

Spanish often uses articles more regularly than English does.

Here, el archivo digital means the digital file. It suggests a specific file, or the file being discussed in context.

Compare:

• Los metadatos identifican el archivo digital. = The metadata identify the digital file.
• Los metadatos identifican un archivo digital. = The metadata identify a digital file.

So el is used because the sentence refers to a specific file, not just any file.

In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun.

So:

• archivo digital = digital file
• literally, file digital

This is the normal position for most descriptive adjectives in Spanish. Putting digital before the noun would sound unusual here.

The sentence breaks down like this:

• Los metadatos = subject
• identifican = verb
• el archivo digital = direct object

So the metadata are doing the action, and the digital file is receiving the action.

A useful test is subject-verb agreement:

• Los metadatos identifican...
  Because identifican is plural, it matches los metadatos, not el archivo digital.

Because el archivo digital is a thing, not a person.

In Spanish, the personal a is usually used when the direct object is a specific person:

• Veo a María.
• Conozco a tu hermano.

But with objects or things, you normally do not use a:

• Identifican el archivo digital.

So this sentence has no a because archivo is an inanimate noun.

Yes, very closely. Here identificar is being used transitively, just like to identify in English:

• Los metadatos identifican el archivo digital.

That means the verb directly takes an object: el archivo digital.

In technical or computing contexts, this is a very natural use of identificar.

Yes. That would also be correct, but it means something slightly different in tone.

• Los metadatos identifican el archivo digital.
  = The metadata identify the digital file.
  This is more direct and concise.

• Los metadatos sirven para identificar el archivo digital.
  = The metadata serve to identify the digital file / are used to identify the digital file.
  This emphasizes function or purpose.

Both are natural, but the original sentence is more straightforward.

Yes, but the original order is the most neutral and natural one.

Normal order:

• Los metadatos identifican el archivo digital.

You could rearrange it for emphasis, for example:

• El archivo digital lo identifican los metadatos.

This sounds more marked and emphatic, something like It is the digital file that the metadata identify or The digital file is identified by the metadata.

For a learner, the original version is the best pattern to follow.

No. Archivo digital is correct and clear, but in computing contexts you may also hear:

• archivo
• fichero
• fichero digital

In Spain, archivo and fichero can both appear, though archivo is very widely understood and common in general Spanish. The best choice can depend on context and register.

It is pronounced with the stress on ca:

i-den-ti-fi-CAN

Because it ends in -n, Spanish normally stresses the second-to-last syllable, unless there is a written accent mark. Since there is no accent mark here, the natural stress is on can.

Usually it would be understood as referring to specific metadata already known from context, because of los.

However, Spanish also often uses the definite article to talk about things in a general or class-level way, more than English does. So depending on context, los metadatos could also be understood more generally as metadata as a category.

In practical terms, a learner should read it as:

• either the metadata in a specific situation
• or metadata in a general explanatory statement

The surrounding context would decide which one is intended.