Learn Hardcore Portuguese (Portugal): Este processo é longo e causa conflito dentro da família. - This case is long and causes conflict within the family.

este = this (close to the speaker, or the one we are focusing on right now)
esse = that (close to the listener, or already mentioned)
aquele = that (far from both speaker and listener, or more distant in time/space/importance)

In a sentence like Este processo é longo, the idea is usually “this process we’re talking about right now / that we’re involved in.” That’s why este is natural.

You could use esse processo if you were referring back to something the other person just mentioned, but este is the default for something you are presenting or emphasising in the moment.

Could I also say Este é um processo longo? Is there any difference?

Yes, Este é um processo longo is perfectly correct. The difference is only in structure:

Este processo é longo = This process is long
Este é um processo longo = This is a long process

They mean almost the same thing. The second version (Este é um processo longo) sounds a bit more like you’re defining or classifying “this” as a type of thing (“a long process”), while the first simply describes the process.

Why is it é and not está longo?

Portuguese uses:

ser (é) for more permanent or defining characteristics
estar (está) for temporary or changing states

The length of a process is seen as an inherent characteristic of that process, not a temporary state, so you use ser:

O processo é longo. = The process (by its nature) is long.

Using está longo would sound strange here, as if its length could easily change from long to short, which is not how native speakers conceptualise it.

Why is longo placed after é instead of before processo?

Two different patterns:

Este processo é longo.
- Subject + verb ser
  - adjective.
- Normal way to say “The process is long.”
um processo longo
- Noun + adjective.
- Used inside a noun phrase: Este é um processo longo.

In Portuguese, when you simply state a quality of the subject with ser, the adjective comes after the verb, just like in English:
This process is long. → Este processo é longo.

What form of the verb is causa, and why not causam or causar?

causa is:

the 3rd person singular, present tense of causar (to cause):

eu causo, tu causas, ele/ela causa, nós causamos, vocês/eles/elas causam

The subject of the verb is este processo (singular), so the verb must be singular:

Este processo … causa conflito.

causam would be plural, needed if the subject were plural:
Estes processos causam conflito.

causar is the infinitive (“to cause”), not used here because we need a finite verb.

Why is there no article before conflito? Could it be o conflito?

causa conflito works like English “causes conflict”:

No article → talking about conflict in general, as a type of thing, not a specific conflict.

If you say:

causa o conflito – it sounds like “causes the conflict”, referring to a very specific, known conflict.
causa um conflito – “causes a conflict”, one concrete conflict.
causa conflitos – “causes conflicts”, several conflicts.

In your sentence, the idea is “it leads to conflict (in general) within the family”, so conflito without article is the most natural.

What does dentro da família literally mean, and how is it different from na família?

Literally:

dentro de = inside (of)
dentro da família = inside the family / within the family

na família is em + a família and also means “in the family”.

In practice here:

causa conflito dentro da família
causa conflito na família

Both can mean “causes conflict within the family.”
dentro da família slightly emphasizes the idea of something happening within the internal sphere of the family (more “inside”), but the difference is subtle, and both are common.

What is da in da família?

da is a contraction:

de + a = da (of / from + the = of the)

Because família is feminine singular, de + a must contract:

dentro da família = “inside the family” / “within the family”

Why is it da família and not de família?

da família = “of the family”, referring to a specific family you have in mind (usually the speaker’s family, or one already known in the context).
de família = “of family (in general)” or “family‑type”, often more generic or used in set expressions (e.g. médico de família = family doctor).

Here, we are talking about conflict within a particular family, so da família is the natural choice.

How do you pronounce é in é longo compared to e (the conjunction “and”)?

In European Portuguese:

é (verb ser) – open /ɛ/ sound, similar to English “eh”
- É longo → roughly [ɛ ˈlõgu]
e (the conjunction “and”) – usually pronounced like a short /i/ (similar to English “ee” but shorter) or sometimes very reduced
- longo e causa → roughly [ˈlõgu i ˈkawzɐ]

So é and e sound different: é = “eh”, e = “ee” (short).

How do the adjectives agree with the nouns in this sentence?

Portuguese adjectives agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they describe:

processo – masculine singular
→ longo – masculine singular
família – feminine singular
→ da família uses a (feminine singular definite article) inside da = de + a

If you changed the nouns, you’d change the forms:

Estas fases são longas. (fases = feminine plural → longas)
dentro das famílias (famílias = feminine plural → das = de + as)

Is causa the only natural verb here, or could I use something like provoca or gera?

You can definitely use other verbs with slightly different nuances:

provoca conflito – provokes conflict
gera conflito – generates/creates conflict
traz conflito – brings conflict

All are natural in European Portuguese. causa conflito is very standard and neutral. The others can add a bit of stylistic variation but don’t change the basic meaning much.

Why is the present tense used (é, causa) instead of something like the future or a modal verb?

Portuguese, like English, uses the simple present to describe:

general truths
typical results or consequences

So:

Este processo é longo e causa conflito dentro da família.
= “This process is (by nature) long and (typically) causes conflict within the family.”

If you wanted to soften it or talk about possibility, you could say:

Este processo pode ser longo e pode causar conflito dentro da família.
(“can be long and can cause conflict within the family”)

But the original sentence states it as a general fact, so the simple present is appropriate.