La copia autorizada muestra el testamento ológrafo.

The authorised copy shows the holographic will.

Breakdown of La copia autorizada muestra el testamento ológrafo.

• mostrar: to show
• el testamento ológrafo: the holographic will
• la copia autorizada: the authorised copy

Questions & Answers about La copia autorizada muestra el testamento ológrafo.

What does copia autorizada mean in this sentence?

In legal Spanish, especially in Spain, copia autorizada is not just any copy. It usually means an officially certified copy, often one issued by a notary and having legal validity.

So although autorizada often means authorised, here the whole phrase is a set legal expression. A more natural English gloss is often:

• certified copy
• official copy
• authorised copy (more literal)

The exact best translation depends on the legal context.

Why is it la copia autorizada and not el copia autorizada?

Because copia is a feminine noun in Spanish.

So all the words that agree with it must also be feminine:

• la = feminine singular article
• autorizada = feminine singular adjective/past participle

That is why we get:

• la copia autorizada

not:

• el copia autorizado

Why does autorizada come after copia?

In Spanish, adjectives usually come after the noun much more often than in English.

So:

• copia autorizada = authorised/certified copy
• testamento ológrafo = holographic will / handwritten will

In this sentence, the noun + adjective order is completely normal, and in fact copia autorizada is a standard legal phrase.