Learn Hardcore Malay: Saya melanggan semula perisian itu kerana saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari. - I subscribe to that software again because I still want to practise languages every day.

Root: langgan – related to “subscription” / “subscriber”.
With the meN- verb prefix, it becomes me + langgan → melanggan (due to standard sound-change rules in Malay).

So:

langganan = subscription (noun)
melanggan = to subscribe (verb)

Example:

Saya melanggan perisian itu. = I subscribe to that software.

Why is it “melanggan semula” and not “melanggan lagi”? Do they both mean “subscribe again”?

Both can be translated as “subscribe again”, but there is a nuance:

melanggan semula – more like “re-subscribe / renew the subscription”, suggests returning to a previous state or starting it over.
melanggan lagi – literally “subscribe again / subscribe more”, can sound a bit more casual and less specific about renewal versus an additional subscription.

In this context (renewing a software subscription), “melanggan semula” is natural and sounds slightly neater or more “correct”, especially in written or semi-formal Malay.
“Saya melanggan lagi perisian itu” is understandable but less commonly used for renewals; some speakers might instead say “saya memperbaharui langganan perisian itu” (“I renewed the software subscription”).

What does “itu” add to “perisian itu”? Is it “that software” or “the software”?

“Itu” literally means “that”, but in Malay it also often works like “the” to mark something specific or previously known.

perisian = software (in general)
perisian itu = that/the software (the particular one we both know about)

So in this sentence, “perisian itu” is best understood as “that software” or “the software” you were already using before.

Without “itu”, “Saya melanggan semula perisian.” feels incomplete or too vague (as if you’re talking about “some software” with no context).

There’s no past tense marker in “Saya melanggan semula…”. How do we know it’s past, and how would we say it clearly in the past?

Malay verbs do not change form for tense. Time is shown by context or by time words.

The sentence can potentially mean:

I subscribe again to that software (now / habitually).
I subscribed again to that software (past action).

We interpret it as past because in English you’re talking about renewing something that had already expired.

If you want to make the past time very clear, add a time word:

Saya tadi melanggan semula perisian itu… = I subscribed again to that software just now…
Semalam saya melanggan semula perisian itu… = Yesterday I subscribed again to that software…

The verb melanggan itself does not change; only context / time expressions change.

What is the difference between “kerana” and “sebab”? Could I replace “kerana” with “sebab” in this sentence?

Both “kerana” and “sebab” mean “because” / “due to”, but they have slightly different usage patterns:

kerana – more commonly used as a conjunction (like “because”) in standard/written Malay.
sebab – can be a noun meaning “reason” (like “cause”), and also used as “because”, especially in spoken/informal Malay.

In your sentence, you can replace “kerana” with “sebab”:

Saya melanggan semula perisian itu kerana saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.
Saya melanggan semula perisian itu sebab saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.

Both are correct, but “kerana” feels a bit more neutral/formal, “sebab” sounds more casual.

What is the nuance of “masih” in “saya masih mahu berlatih”, and where can “masih” go in the sentence?

“Masih” means “still” (continuing from before up to now).

Saya masih mahu… = I still want to… (my desire continues)

Positioning:

Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – Most natural; “still” modifies “want”.
Saya mahu masih berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – Grammatically possible, but sounds odd to most speakers.
Saya masih berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – Now “masih” modifies “berlatih” directly: I still practice language every day.

So the original “saya masih mahu berlatih…” emphasizes that you still have the desire to keep practising.

What is the difference between “mahu”, “hendak”, and “nak”? Could I say “nak” here?

All three can correspond to “want to” / “would like to”, but differ in formality:

mahu – neutral, common in both speech and writing; good “safe” choice.
hendak – a bit more formal or “textbook”; also used in standard Malay.
nak – informal / colloquial; basically a spoken contraction of hendak.

In your sentence:

Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – Neutral-standard.
Saya masih hendak berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – More formal / written.
Saya masih nak berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – Very common in casual conversation.

All three are understood; just match the level of formality you want.

What is the difference between “berlatih” and “melatih”? Why is “berlatih bahasa” used here?

Both come from the root latih (related to “training/practice”), but:

berlatih (ber- prefix)
- Typically intransitive: “to practise” (yourself), like doing exercises.
- Focus is on the person who is practising.
- Saya berlatih setiap hari. = I practise every day.
melatih (meN- prefix)
- Typically transitive: “to train (someone)” / “to coach”.
- Focus is on the trainer and the person being trained.
- Dia melatih pelajar-pelajar itu. = He/She trains those students.

In “berlatih bahasa”, you are practising the language yourself, so berlatih is the correct choice:

Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.
= I still want to practise the language every day.

Using melatih bahasa would sound like “to train the language” (wrong subject-object relationship).

Is it natural to just say “bahasa” here? Should it be “bahasa Melayu”, “bahasa Inggeris”, etc.?

“Bahasa” by itself literally means “language”. In this sentence, it works because the specific language is understood from context (e.g. the language course/software you’re using).

If the context is clear (e.g. “I’m learning Japanese on this app”), “berlatih bahasa” can mean “practise the language (I’m studying)”.
If you want to be explicit, you can name the language:
- …berlatih bahasa Melayu setiap hari. = …practise Malay every day.
- …berlatih bahasa Jepun setiap hari. = …practise Japanese every day.

So:

Generic / context-dependent:
- Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari. – I still want to practise the (relevant) language every day.
Specific:
- Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa Melayu setiap hari. – I still want to practise Malay every day.

What does “setiap hari” mean exactly, and is its position at the end fixed?

“Setiap hari” means “every day”.

Typical and most natural word order is to place it at the end of the clause:

Saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.
= I still want to practise the language every day.

Other positions are possible but less common or more marked:

Setiap hari saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa. – Emphasises “every day” (“Every day, I still want to practise the language.”)
Saya setiap hari masih mahu berlatih bahasa. – Grammatically understandable but sounds clumsy to many speakers.

So the original order, with “setiap hari” at the end, is the most natural.

Is “perisian” the only word for “software”? Could I say “aplikasi” or “app” instead?

“Perisian” is the standard Malay term for “software”.

Other related words:

aplikasi – application / app (more like a specific program or app).
aplikasi itu – that app / that application.
ap or app – very informal borrowing, used in casual speech, especially with English speakers.

If you’re talking about a specific app (like Duolingo, etc.), many people would say:

Saya melanggan semula aplikasi itu… = I resubscribed to that app…

If you want to keep it more general or technical, “perisian” is good. The sentence as given is perfectly natural if you mean “the software/service” generally.

How formal or informal is this sentence overall, and how would it look in more casual Malay?

The original sentence is in neutral / standard Malay:

Saya melanggan semula perisian itu kerana saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.

To make it more casual, a native speaker might say, for example:

Saya renew balik langganan app tu sebab saya masih nak berlatih bahasa tiap-tiap hari.

Changes you can notice:

renew balik – code-switching with English “renew” plus Malay balik (“back/again”), very casual.
app tu – informal word for “that app” (tu = colloquial form of itu).
sebab instead of kerana.
nak instead of mahu.
tiap-tiap hari instead of setiap hari (still correct).

For standard written Malay (e.g. an essay), the original sentence is already appropriate.

Could I change the order of the two clauses, like putting the “because” part first?

Yes. You can absolutely switch the order, just like in English:

Original:
- Saya melanggan semula perisian itu kerana saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari.
- I re-subscribed to that software because I still want to practise the language every day.
Reordered:
- Kerana saya masih mahu berlatih bahasa setiap hari, saya melanggan semula perisian itu.
- Because I still want to practise the language every day, I re-subscribed to that software.

Both are correct. The meaning remains the same; the second version slightly emphasises the reason first.