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

No

While the dictionary definition of "sertaneja" (pertaining to the sertão, or hinterlands) is technically the same, the word is not "the same" in terms of usage and cultural connotation.

In Brazil, "sertaneja" is a massive cultural identifier. It refers specifically to a major genre of popular music (música sertaneja), a specific lifestyle, and the culture of the country's interior regions. It carries a heavy weight of identity, fashion, and tradition.

In Portugal, the word "sertão" is not part of the common landscape or vocabulary, as the geographical concept of the Brazilian sertão does not exist there. Consequently, a Portuguese person would almost never use the word "sertaneja" to describe music or culture. Instead, they would use terms like "do interior" (from the interior), "do campo" (from the countryside), or "campestre" (rural/rustic).

Brazilian Portuguese Examples

  1. Eu adoro ouvir música sertaneja. (I love listening to sertanejo music.)
  2. Ela é uma cantora sertaneja muito famosa. (She is a very famous sertanejo singer.)
  3. A culinária sertaneja é muito saborosa. (Sertanejo cuisine is very tasty.)
  4. Ela comprou um chapéu de estilo sertanejo. (She bought a sertanejo-style hat.)
  5. A cultura sertaneja faz parte da nossa identidade. (Sertanejo culture is part of our identity.)

Portuguese (Portugal) Examples

  1. Eu adoro ouvir música do interior. (I love listening to music from the interior.)
  2. Ela é uma cantora de música popular do campo. (She is a popular singer from the countryside.)
  3. A culinária da nossa região é muito saborosa. (Our region's cuisine is very tasty.)
  4. Ela comprou um chapéu de estilo campestre. (She bought a rustic/country-style hat.)
  5. A cultura das nossas aldeias faz parte da nossa identidade. (The culture of our villages is part of our identity.)