La copia de seguridad incluye los metadatos.

In Spanish, it is very common to use the definite article when talking about something specific or already understood from context.

So:

• La copia de seguridad = the backup
• Copia de seguridad = backup / a backup, depending on context

In a full sentence, Spanish often sounds more natural with the article if you mean a particular backup:

• La copia de seguridad incluye los metadatos. = The backup includes the metadata.

If you removed la, it would sound more like a heading, label, or a more general statement.

Literally, it means copy of security/safety, but in natural English it means backup.

Breakdown:

• copia = copy
• de = of
• seguridad = security / safety

So copia de seguridad is the standard Spanish term for a backup copy of data.

Spanish often uses noun phrases where English uses a single noun or a noun used as an adjective.

Here, de seguridad describes what kind of copy it is:

• copia = copy
• de seguridad = for safety / as protection

So the structure is very normal in Spanish. English compresses this into backup, while Spanish usually says copia de seguridad.

You may also see backup in informal tech contexts, but copia de seguridad is the standard, widely accepted Spanish expression.

Because the subject is la copia de seguridad, which is singular.

Structure:

• La copia de seguridad = subject
• incluye = verb
• los metadatos = direct object

So the verb agrees with la copia de seguridad, not with los metadatos.

Compare:

• La copia de seguridad incluye los metadatos. = singular subject
• Las copias de seguridad incluyen los metadatos. = plural subject

Incluye is the present indicative form of incluir.

It means:

• includes
• sometimes does include, depending on emphasis

Conjugation of incluir in the present:

• yo incluyo
• tú incluyes
• él / ella / usted incluye
• nosotros/as incluimos
• vosotros/as incluís
• ellos / ellas / ustedes incluyen

So here, incluye matches la copia de seguridad.

In Spanish, metadatos is normally treated as a plural noun, just like datos.

• dato = data point / piece of information
• datos = data
• metadato = metadata item / metadatum
• metadatos = metadata

Even though English often uses metadata as an uncountable mass noun, Spanish commonly uses metadatos in the plural.

So:

• los metadatos = the metadata

Because metadatos comes from datos, and dato is masculine:

• el dato
• los datos

Adding meta- does not change the gender:

• el metadato
• los metadatos

That is why the article is los, not las.

Yes, you could say incluye metadatos, but the meaning changes slightly.

• incluye los metadatos = it includes the metadata, meaning specific metadata
• incluye metadatos = it includes metadata, in a more general sense

Spanish often uses articles more than English does, especially when referring to something specific or already known in context.

So if you are talking about the metadata associated with that backup, los metadatos is very natural.

They are similar, and in many technical contexts both can work.

• incluye = includes
• contiene = contains

Difference in nuance:

• incluye suggests something is part of a set or package
• contiene emphasizes what is inside something

So both of these are possible:

• La copia de seguridad incluye los metadatos.
• La copia de seguridad contiene los metadatos.

In a software or documentation context, incluye often sounds especially natural for listed features or contents.

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

Standard order:

• La copia de seguridad incluye los metadatos.

Other possibilities include:

• Los metadatos los incluye la copia de seguridad.
  This is more marked and usually used for emphasis.
• Los metadatos están incluidos en la copia de seguridad.
  This is a different structure meaning The metadata are included in the backup.

For a learner, the original sentence is the best default pattern to remember.

A Spain pronunciation would be approximately:

la KOH-pya deh seh-goo-ree-DAD een-KLOO-yeh lohs meh-tah-DAH-tohs

A few points:

• c before o in copia sounds like k
• y in incluye sounds like a consonant similar to y in yes
• in much of Spain, z in seguridad is actually s, because the z/c = th sound only happens before e or i, not here
• in much of Spain, d between vowels can be softer than in English

If you want a more Spain-specific detail:

• c or z before e/i would often sound like th in much of Spain, but this sentence does not contain that exact pattern in a key place except c in copia, where it is just a k sound.

Sometimes, especially in IT or informal speech, yes. You may hear things like:

• hacer un backup
• el backup

But in standard Spanish, especially in documentation, interfaces, or more careful language, copia de seguridad is the preferred term.

So for learning good standard Spanish, copia de seguridad is the best choice.

Because copia segura means something different: safe copy or secure copy.

But copia de seguridad means a copy made for safety/protection, that is, a backup.

This is an important difference:

• copia segura = a secure/safe copy
• copia de seguridad = a backup copy

So the de + noun structure is necessary here to express the correct idea.

It is neutral and completely natural in technical Spanish.

It would fit well in:

• software documentation
• settings menus
• help pages
• IT instructions
• general explanations

It is not especially formal or informal. It is just standard, clear Spanish.