Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.

I do not understand that history question at all.

Breakdown of Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.

• saya: I
• itu: that
• soalan: the question
• tidak: not
• sejarah: history
• faham: to understand
• langsung: at all

Questions & Answers about Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.

What extra meaning does langsung add in Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu?

Langsung intensifies the negation.

• Saya tidak faham soalan sejarah itu = I don’t understand that history question.
• Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu = I don’t understand that history question *at all / in the slightest.*

So langsung here is similar to English at all, absolutely, or completely (in a negative sense).

Where else can I put langsung in the sentence? Is Saya tidak faham langsung soalan sejarah itu also correct?

Yes, you can move langsung:

• Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.
• Saya tidak langsung faham soalan sejarah itu.
• Saya tidak faham langsung soalan sejarah itu.

However, there is an important difference:

1. Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.
   – Natural, means I don’t understand that history question at all. (what you want)

2. Saya tidak faham langsung soalan sejarah itu.
   – Also natural, also means I don’t understand that history question at all.
   – Here langsung is emphasising faham.

3. Saya tidak langsung faham soalan sejarah itu.
   – Sounds odd or ambiguous. It can be interpreted as I do not immediately understand that history question (langsung = directly / immediately), which is a different meaning.

So for “not at all”, the safest are:

• Saya langsung tidak faham …
• Saya tidak faham langsung …

Why is tidak used instead of bukan in this sentence?

Malay has two main negative words:

• tidak – used with verbs and adjectives
• bukan – used with nouns and to negate equational sentences (A = B)

In Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu:

• faham is a verb (“to understand”), so you must use tidak.
• bukan here would be ungrammatical: ✗ Saya langsung bukan faham soalan sejarah itu.

Examples for contrast:

• Saya tidak faham. – I don’t understand. (verb)
• Ini bukan soalan sejarah. – This is not a history question. (noun phrase)

Why is itu at the end of soalan sejarah itu instead of before it like itu soalan sejarah?

In Malay, demonstratives like itu (that) usually come after the noun phrase:

• buku itu = that book
• kereta merah itu = that red car
• soalan sejarah itu = that history question / that question about history

So soalan sejarah itu literally looks like question history that, but functionally it means that history question or that question in history.

You can say itu soalan sejarah, but:

• itu soalan sejarah = that is a history question (a full sentence: “that = a history question”)
• soalan sejarah itu = that history question (a noun phrase used inside a bigger sentence)

In your sentence, you need a noun phrase, so soalan sejarah itu is correct.

What exactly does soalan sejarah mean? Is sejarah an adjective here?

Sejarah is a noun meaning history. Malay doesn’t have adjective endings like English; often a second noun describes the first, similar to noun + noun compounds in English.

• soalan sejarah = history question / question about history
• buku sejarah = history book
• kelas sejarah = history class

So sejarah is still a noun, but it functions like a describing noun. The structure is:

[main noun] + [describing noun]
soalan (question) + sejarah (history) = history question

Why isn’t there a word for “the” in soalan sejarah itu?

Malay doesn’t have separate words for “a/an/the” like English. Instead:

• The presence or absence of a demonstrative (ini, itu) and the context tell you whether it feels like a or the.

In soalan sejarah itu:

• itu = that
• So the natural English translation is that history question or the history question (that we’re talking about).

If you drop itu and just say soalan sejarah, it becomes more like a history question or history questions in general, depending on context.

Why is the subject Saya used? Can I drop Saya and just say Langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu?

Malay can drop subject pronouns when the subject is obvious from context, especially in informal speech.

• Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.
  – Clear, explicit: I don’t understand that history question at all.

In casual speech, you might hear:

• Langsung tak faham soalan sejarah itu.
  – Literally “(I) don’t understand that history question at all.”

This is acceptable in informal contexts, but:

• In writing, textbooks, exams, and formal situations, it’s better to keep the subject (Saya).
• For learners, including the subject helps avoid ambiguity.

What is the difference between faham, memahami, and mengerti?

All relate to understanding, but usage differs:

1. faham

   • Very common, everyday word.
   • Can be used as a verb or adjective-like:
     • Saya faham. – I understand.
     • Saya tidak faham. – I don’t understand.
   • In your sentence, faham is a verb: to understand.

2. memahami

   • More formal, derived form of paham (alt. spelling).
   • Often used in writing, formal speech, or when emphasising the process/act of understanding:
     • Saya memahami masalah ini. – I understand this problem.
   • You could say:
     Saya langsung tidak memahami soalan sejarah itu.
     – Also correct, but more formal.

3. mengerti

   • Also means to understand, closer to to comprehend.
   • Common in some regions / styles; can sound a bit more literary or polite in some contexts:
     • Saya tidak mengerti. – I don’t understand.

In your sentence, faham is the most natural and neutral choice.

Is there any tense marker in Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu? How do I know if it means “did not understand” or “do not understand”?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. The sentence:

• Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.

can mean:

• I did not understand that history question at all. (past)
• I do not understand that history question at all. (present)

The time reference comes from context, or from extra time words if needed:

• Tadi saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.
  – Earlier I didn’t understand that history question at all. (past)

• Sekarang saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu.
  – Right now I don’t understand that history question at all. (present)

What level of politeness is Saya langsung tidak faham soalan sejarah itu? Is Saya formal?

Saya is the standard polite first-person pronoun:

• Used in most situations: with strangers, teachers, in class, at work, on TV, in writing.
• Neutral and safe almost everywhere.

Informal alternatives:

• Aku – casual/intimate; used with close friends, family, or people of similar age/status.
  • Informal version: Aku langsung tak faham soalan sejarah tu.

Your original sentence with Saya is polite and standard – very appropriate for a learner to use in almost any context.

Could langsung ever mean something besides “at all”?

Yes. Langsung has two main uses:

1. As an intensifier with negation

   • Saya langsung tidak faham. – I don’t understand at all.
   • Dia langsung tak marah. – He’s not angry at all.

2. Meaning “direct / direct(ly)”

   • Penerbangan langsung ke Tokyo. – A direct flight to Tokyo.
   • Hubungi saya secara langsung. – Contact me directly.

So in your sentence, langsung = at all / completely (not), but in other contexts it can mean direct(ly). Context tells you which one is intended.