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Is the word mentir the same in Brazilian and European Portuguese?

No

While the word "mentir" has the same meaning, spelling, and conjugation in both Brazilian and Continental Portuguese, there is a significant difference in its typical usage regarding continuous actions. In Brazil, the gerund (mentindo) is the standard way to express an ongoing action. In Portugal, it is much more natural to use the preposition "a" followed by the infinitive (a mentir). Additionally, the placement of object pronouns (like "me" or "te") differs significantly in natural, everyday speech.

Brazilian Portuguese (Natural Usage)

  1. Ele está mentindo para você. (He is lying to you.)
  2. Por que você está mentindo? (Why are/are you lying?)
  3. Pare de mentir para mim! (Stop lying to me!)
  4. Eu sei que você mentiu. (I know you lied.)
  5. Não venha mentir pra mim. (Don't come lying to me.)

Continental Portuguese (Natural Usage)

  1. Ele está a mentir-te. (He is lying to you.)
  2. Porque é que estás a mentir? (Why are you lying?)
  3. Para de me mentires! (Stop lying to me!)
  4. Eu sei que mentiste. (I know you lied.)
  5. Não venhas mentir-me. (Don't come lying to me.)