Learn Hardcore Chinese: tā xiǎng qù hěnduō guójiā kànkan shìjiè. - She wants to go to many countries to take a look at the world.

她想去很多国家… = She wants to / would like to go to many countries…
It’s softer and less forceful than 要.
- 想去: expresses a desire, a wish, an idea.
- 要去: often sounds more decided or determined, like a plan or intention.

想 can also mean think in other sentences (e.g. 我想他已经走了 = I think he has left), but here it clearly means want to because it is followed by an action (去很多国家看看世界).

What is the role of 去 in this sentence? Why do we need it?

去 means to go (somewhere) and is the main action verb here.

去很多国家 = go to many countries.
Without 去, the phrase 很多国家 would just be a noun phrase (many countries) without an action.

The structure is:

她 (subject)
想 (wants to)
去 (go)
很多国家 (many countries)
看看世界 (to see the world)

So 想 gives the desire, 去 expresses the motion to go, and the rest explains where and for what purpose.

Why do we say 看看 instead of just 看? What’s the difference?

看看 is the reduplicated form of 看 and adds a nuance:

看 by itself = to look / to see (neutral).
看看 = have a look / take a look / look around a bit.

Reduplication (verb + verb) in Chinese usually suggests:

A short, light, or casual action.
A softer, more exploratory tone.

Here, 看看世界 feels like:

“go and have a look at the world”
“go and see a bit of the world”

It sounds more natural and colloquial than just 看世界, which can feel more formal or heavy in this context.

Is 看看 one word or two words? How should I think about it grammatically?

Grammatically, 看看 comes from repeating the verb 看, so you can think of it as one unit functioning as a single verb.

Pattern: V + V → a light, brief, or tentative action.
Other examples: 想想 (think a bit), 试试 (try a bit), 问问 (ask briefly).

In this sentence, 看看 is a verb taking an object:

看看世界 = have a look at the world.

So you can parse it as:

看 (verb) + 看 (reduplicated for nuance) → combined verbal unit 看看, which then takes 世界 as its object.

How do 想, 去, and 看看 all fit together? It feels like there are too many verbs.

Chinese often allows verb chains (serial verbs) where English might use infinitives or subordinate clauses.

Here the structure is:

她 – subject
想 – mental verb: wants to
去 – action verb: go
很多国家 – where: many countries
看看世界 – purpose: have a look at the world

You can understand it as:

她想（去很多国家看看世界）
She wants (to go to many countries and see the world).

In English we nest verbs with to (want to go … and see …).
In Chinese you can just line them up, and context shows how they relate.

Why is it 很多国家 and not 很多个国家? Isn’t a measure word needed?

Both 很多国家 and 很多个国家 are possible, but they feel slightly different.

很多国家 (no measure word):
- Very natural and common.
- Emphasizes a general large quantity: “many countries” in a more abstract sense.
很多个国家 (with 个):
- Also correct.
- Emphasizes countable, individual units, a bit more concrete or emphatic.

In general:

With specific numbers (三, 五, 十 etc.), you must use a measure word:
- 三个国家, 十个国家.
With vague-quantity words like 很多, 一些, 不少, you often omit the measure word, especially in casual speech:
- 很多人, 不少地方, 一些问题.

So 很多国家 is perfectly grammatical and very natural.

Why isn’t there a 的 after 很多 (很多的国家)?

You can say 很多的国家, but in this kind of phrase, 的 is usually omitted:

很多国家 is shorter and more natural in modern spoken Chinese.
很多的国家 sounds more written, formal, or slightly heavy, and is more common when 很多的 modifies a longer or more complex phrase.

For a simple noun like 国家, the usual pattern is:

很多国家, 很多人, 很多地方.

So the sentence uses the most natural, everyday form.

Why is 世界 at the end? Could I say 她想看看世界，去很多国家 instead?

The original order is:

去很多国家 – go to many countries (action)
看看世界 – (in order to) see the world (purpose)

This gives a natural “action → purpose” flow:

She wants to go to many countries to see the world.

Your alternative:

她想看看世界，去很多国家
literally: “She wants to see the world, go to many countries.”

This is understandable and not wrong, but the relationship between 看世界 and 去很多国家 becomes less tight. It sounds a bit like two separate wishes:

She wants to see the world, and (also) go to many countries.

The original sentence ties them together more clearly: going to many countries is the way she will see the world.

How do we know if this sentence is about the present, future, or past? There’s no tense marking.

Chinese does not mark tense the way English does (no -ed, no will). Instead, it relies on:

Context
Time words (e.g. 昨天, 明年)
Aspect particles (e.g. 了, 过, 着)

In this sentence:

想 in the present context usually means a current desire and often implies a future action:
- “She wants to go…” / “She would like to go…”

To make time explicit, you could add time expressions:

她现在想去很多国家看看世界。 (right now)
她一直想去很多国家看看世界。 (has always wanted to)
以前她想去很多国家看看世界。 (used to want to)

What is the difference between 她 and 他 in pronunciation and meaning?

Pronunciation:

她 and 他 are both pronounced tā (first tone).

Meaning:

她 = she / her, used for females.
他 = he / him, used for males.
There is also 它 (tā) for it (objects, animals in general, etc.).

In spoken Mandarin you cannot hear the difference; only the character and the context tell you whether it’s she, he, or it. In this sentence, 她 clearly means she.

Could we say 她要去很多国家看看世界 instead? What would change?

Yes, 她要去很多国家看看世界 is grammatically correct, but the nuance changes:

她想去很多国家看看世界。
- Softer, more like a wish or desire.
- Could be something she dreams of, not necessarily planned.
她要去很多国家看看世界。
- Stronger intention, more determined.
- Can sound like a plan, decision, or even a bit stubborn, depending on tone.

In many contexts, 想 is more appropriate when you talk about general dreams or long‑term wishes, which fits this “see the world” idea well.

Is there any difference between 看看世界, 看一看世界, and 看世界?

All are possible, but they differ slightly in feel:

看看世界
- Most natural and common here.
- Casual, light: “have a look at the world,” “see a bit of the world.”
看一看世界
- Slightly more formal or careful.
- 一 reinforces the idea of a single, brief look.
- Meaning is basically the same as 看看世界.
看世界
- More neutral and bare.
- Less of the “just have a look / look around” nuance.
- Can feel more serious or general: “to see the world” as a broad goal.

In this sentence, 看看世界 best matches the natural, slightly dreamy tone of wanting to travel and see the world.