Learn Hardcore Malay: Selagi saya belum faham, saya akan tanya semula sehingga jawapan terasa jelas. - As long as I do not yet understand, I will ask again until the answer feels clear.

selagi = “for as long as / while (on condition that)”
It introduces an ongoing condition.
Selagi saya belum faham = “For as long as I still don’t understand…”
sehingga = “until / to the point that / so … that”
It marks the end point or result of an action.
… tanya semula sehingga jawapan terasa jelas = “… keep asking again until the answer feels clear.”

So the structure is:

Condition: Selagi X …
Continuation/result: … do Y sehingga Z.

In English that becomes something like: “As long as I haven’t understood, I will keep asking again until the answer feels clear.”

What is the difference between belum faham and tidak faham here?

belum faham = “not yet understand”
Implies you expect to understand in the future. It’s temporary or incomplete:
Selagi saya belum faham = “As long as I don’t understand yet.”
tidak faham = “do not understand”
A plain, neutral negation with no “yet” nuance.

Using belum softens the idea; it suggests you are still in the process of understanding and will eventually get there.
If you said Selagi saya tidak faham, it would sound more like “As long as I don’t understand (at all) …” – slightly more absolute or blunt.

Is akan necessary to talk about the future in this sentence?

No, akan is not strictly necessary. Malay does not mark tense the way English does; time is often understood from context.

With akan:
Saya akan tanya semula – “I will ask again” (explicit future / intention).
Without akan:
Saya tanya semula – can mean “I ask again” (habitual / generic) or “I will ask again” depending on context.

In your sentence, akan makes the future and intention clear and sounds natural:

… saya akan tanya semula … = “… I will ask again …”

Why is saya repeated? Could I omit the second saya?

The subject saya appears twice:

Selagi saya belum faham,
saya akan tanya semula …

Repeating it is perfectly normal and clear in Malay, especially when there is a pause or comma between clauses.

You have a few options:

Keep both (very natural):
Selagi saya belum faham, saya akan tanya semula …
Drop the first saya (also natural):
Selagi belum faham, saya akan tanya semula …
The subject is understood from the second clause.
Drop the second saya:
Selagi saya belum faham, akan tanya semula …
This is possible but sounds a bit incomplete or “note-like” in many contexts, because the main clause usually prefers an explicit subject.

So (1) and (2) are the usual, comfortable choices; (3) is less typical in full sentences.

What exactly does tanya semula mean? How is it different from tanya lagi or bertanya semula?

tanya semula
- tanya = “to ask”
- semula = “again / over from the start”
  Together: “to ask again (repeat the question / ask once more).” There is a nuance of repeating or restarting the asking process.
tanya lagi
- lagi = “again / more / still”
  Also “ask again”, but lagi is very common and casual.
  tanya semula and tanya lagi usually mean the same thing here. semula can sound a bit more like “redo” or “start over”.
bertanya semula
- bertanya is the intransitive form “to ask (a question)”
- bertanya semula = “to (once again) ask / pose a question.”
  Slightly more formal or bookish than tanya semula.

In everyday speech, saya akan tanya lagi or saya akan tanya semula are both natural. In your sentence, tanya semula fits well and sounds polite and clear.

Can I replace sehingga with hingga or sampai? Do they sound different?

Yes, you can, with small differences in style:

sehingga – neutral, slightly formal or standard.
hingga – similar to sehingga, also standard; often interchangeable.
sampai – very common in everyday/informal speech.

All of these can mean “until” when used like in your sentence.

Examples:

… tanya semula sehingga jawapan terasa jelas. (standard / written-friendly)
… tanya semula hingga jawapan terasa jelas. (also standard)
… tanya lagi sampai jawapan terasa jelas. (very natural spoken Malay)

Meaning remains the same; the main difference is register and style.

Why use jawapan terasa jelas instead of something simpler like jawapannya jelas?

Both are correct, but they have different nuances:

jawapannya jelas = “the answer is clear”
States a fact, relatively objective.
jawapan terasa jelas = “the answer feels clear”
- terasa = “is felt / feels (to someone)”
  This emphasises your subjective experience — that you, personally, experience the answer as clear.

So:

… sehingga jawapannya jelas – “until the answer is clear.”
… sehingga jawapan terasa jelas – “until the answer feels clear (to me).”

The version with terasa sounds more personal and experiential, which suits the idea that you will keep asking until you feel satisfied with the clarity.

There is no word for “the” before jawapan. How would I say the answer or an answer explicitly in Malay?

Malay does not normally use separate words for “a/an” or “the”. Jawapan can be:

“an answer”
“the answer”
“answers” (in some contexts)

The meaning is understood from context.

If you really need to be explicit:

an answer:
satu jawapan (literally “one answer”).
the answer (specific one already known):
- jawapan itu (literally “that answer”), or
- jawapan yang tadi (“the answer from before”), etc.

In your sentence, jawapan naturally means “the answer” in context, without needing an article.

Where should semula go in relation to tanya? Could I say saya akan semula tanya?

In this pattern, semula comes after the main verb:

Correct: saya akan tanya semula
Not natural: saya akan semula tanya

General pattern for these “again/back” words is:

verb + semula
verb + lagi
verb + kembali

Examples:

cuba lagi – try again
buat semula – do it again / redo
datang kembali – come back

So in your sentence, tanya semula is the correct and natural order.

Is this sentence formal, informal, or neutral? What if I used aku instead of saya?

With saya, the sentence is neutral and fits:

polite everyday conversation
talking to strangers
writing (emails, essays, etc.)

If you change it to aku:

Selagi aku belum faham, aku akan tanya semula …

…it becomes more informal/intimate, suitable for:

close friends
family (depending on your usual style)
casual conversation with people your own age, in many contexts

Avoid aku with people you need to be polite to (teachers, older strangers, formal situations) unless you know it is acceptable in that social circle. Saya is the safe, polite default.