Learn Hardcore Chinese: wǒ cóngxiǎo jiù xiànmù jiějie, yīnwèi tā zìjǐ qù biéde guójiā lǚyóu. - I have admired my sister since I was little because she travels to other countries on her own.

It’s a set phrase and is very commonly used on its own to mean “since childhood.”
You can say 从小就… or just 从小…, and listeners will understand “ever since (I was) a child…”
You could say 从小的时候就…, but that sounds wordier and less natural; native speakers usually just say 从小就….

So 我从小就羡慕姐姐 = “I’ve envied my older sister since I was little.”

What does 就 do in 我从小就羡慕姐姐? Can I leave it out?

In 我从小就羡慕姐姐, 就 adds a sense of “already / as early as” and emphasizes that this situation started early and has been true since then.

我从小就羡慕姐姐 → “Ever since I was little, I (already) envied my sister.”
It highlights that the envy started early, not only later in life.

If you say:

我从小羡慕姐姐 (without 就) — it’s still understandable and not wrong, but it sounds a bit less natural and less emphatic. Native speakers strongly prefer 从小就 in this kind of sentence.

So 就 is not grammatically required, but it sounds more natural and gives the right nuance.

Why is there no 了 to show past tense, since the sister already traveled?

Chinese doesn’t mark tense the same way English does. Instead, it often relies on:

Context (we know this is about past behavior)
Time words / phrases
Aspect particles like 了, 过, etc., when needed

Here, 因为她自己去别的国家旅游 is explaining the reason for the speaker’s long‑standing envy. It focuses on her ability / habit / experience of traveling abroad, not on one specific completed trip.

If you wanted to emphasize completed actions, you could say:

因为她自己去过别的国家旅游。
“Because she has (at some point) traveled to other countries by herself.”

The original sentence is fine without 了 because it’s talking about the general fact that she (was able to) travel abroad by herself.

What is the nuance of 羡慕? Is it like “jealous” in English?

羡慕 usually means:

“to envy (in an admiring way)”
To think someone’s situation is good and you’d like to have it too, often without strong negativity.

Compare:

羡慕 – envy, often neutral or slightly positive: admiration + wanting the same thing.
嫉妒 – jealousy, more negative, includes resentment or hostility.

In this sentence:

我从小就羡慕姐姐 implies “I admired my older sister and wished I could be like her / have what she has.”
It does not automatically imply bitterness or hostility; it can be quite warm.

Why is it just 姐姐 and not 我的姐姐 for “my older sister”?

In Chinese, with close family members, possessive words like 我的 (my) are often dropped when the context is clear.

我妈妈 / 我姐姐 → fully explicit
妈妈 / 姐姐 → still understood as “my mom / my older sister” if you’re talking about your own family.

In 我从小就羡慕姐姐, we already have 我 at the beginning, and it’s natural to assume 姐姐 refers to “my older sister.” Adding 我的姐姐 would be grammatically fine but feels heavier and less colloquial in this context.

What exactly does 自己 do here? Why do we need 她自己去别的国家旅游 and not just 她去别的国家旅游?

自己 is a reflexive pronoun meaning “self” (herself, himself, myself, etc. depending on the subject).

In 她自己去别的国家旅游, 自己 emphasizes:

She went by herself / on her own / independently.

Subtle differences:

她去别的国家旅游。
She went to other countries to travel. (No emphasis on whether she was alone or with others.)
她自己去别的国家旅游。
She went to other countries by herself (without parents, without needing company or help).

In context, the speaker envies the sister’s independence, so 自己 is important to that meaning.

Could we say 她一个人去别的国家旅游 instead of 她自己去别的国家旅游? What’s the difference?

Yes, both are correct but have slightly different focuses:

她自己去别的国家旅游。
Emphasizes independence / doing it on her own, often about ability or autonomy.
她一个人去别的国家旅游。
Emphasizes the number of people: she went alone, with no companions.

They often overlap in meaning, and in many contexts either is fine. Here, since the envy is about her being capable and independent, 自己 fits very well.

Why is the word order 去别的国家旅游 and not something like 去旅游别的国家?

In Chinese, place words tend to come before the main action or object of the verb. The pattern here is:

去 + 地点 (place) + 动作 (activity)

So:

去别的国家旅游 = go to other countries to travel.

Think of it as:

Decide the direction / destination: 去别的国家 (go to other countries)
Then say what you do there: 旅游 (travel, go sightseeing)

去旅游别的国家 is not natural because it breaks the usual order (destination before the main activity).

What’s the difference between 别的国家 and 其他国家? Could I use 其他国家 here?

Both 别的国家 and 其他国家 can mean “other countries.” Here, 其他国家 would also be acceptable.

Typical nuances:

别的 – slightly more everyday / colloquial; often means “other (different from this one)”.
其他 – a bit more neutral / formal; often used in writing, in more abstract contexts.

Examples:

别的人 – other people (colloquial)
其他问题 – other issues / questions (neutral, often written)

In this sentence, 别的国家 sounds very natural and conversational, which matches the style.

What’s the difference between 旅游 and 旅行? Why use 旅游 here?

Both relate to traveling, but their typical uses differ:

旅游:
- Often means “to travel for leisure / sightseeing”
- Can be noun or verb
- Common in phrases like 旅游景点 (tourist attraction), 旅游团 (tour group)
旅行:
- Slightly broader; can be any kind of trip (business, study, long journey)
- Also noun or verb
- Used in 旅行社 (travel agency), 环游世界旅行 (a trip around the world)

In 去别的国家旅游, the context is clearly leisure travel / tourism, so 旅游 is a perfect fit. 去别的国家旅行 is also possible and correct, just with a slightly more neutral “trip” feel.

Do we need 所以 after 因为? Why is it just 因为… and not 因为…所以…?

Chinese often uses the pattern:

因为 A，所以 B – “Because A, therefore B.”

But it’s also common to use only one of them and omit the other:

因为 clause first, then main clause without 所以:
- 因为她自己去别的国家旅游，我从小就羡慕姐姐。
Main clause first, then 因为 clause:
- 我从小就羡慕姐姐，因为她自己去别的国家旅游。 (your sentence)

In this second pattern (…，因为…), you almost never add 所以; it would feel redundant or unnatural. So the sentence is correct and natural as is.

How should I understand the time aspect of 我从小就羡慕姐姐 in English? Is it present or past?

Chinese doesn’t have strict verb tense like English; 从小就 + verb often corresponds to English present perfect or “since I was little” patterns.

我从小就羡慕姐姐 can be naturally translated as:
- “I’ve envied my older sister since I was little.”
- “I’ve always envied my older sister (ever since I was a child).”

It describes a state that started in the past and continues up to now. The verb form itself (羡慕) doesn’t change; the time phrase 从小就 gives you the time frame.