Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep dua kali sehari.

Menyuruh means to tell someone to do something, to order, or to instruct.

In this sentence, the pattern is:

menyuruh + person + verb

So:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep
  = The doctor told me to apply ointment

It is stronger than just saying something, but in medical contexts it often sounds like instructed or advised me to rather than harshly ordered me to.

Suruh is the base word.
Menyuruh is the active verb form made with the meN- prefix.

So:

• suruh = tell/order
• menyuruh = to tell/order

This is very common in Indonesian:

• baca → membaca = read
• tulis → menulis = write
• suruh → menyuruh = tell/order

In a normal full sentence with an active subject like dokter, Indonesian usually uses the meN- form.

Indonesian often does not need a separate word equivalent to English to before the second verb.

So:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep
  literally follows the pattern Doctor told me apply ointment

That is completely normal in Indonesian.

You can sometimes add untuk:

• Dokter menyuruh saya untuk mengoleskan salep

This is also grammatical, but often untuk is omitted because it is not necessary.

Mengoleskan means to apply, to smear on, or to spread onto.

It comes from oles, which relates to smearing or applying something onto a surface.

So in this sentence:

• mengoleskan salep = to apply ointment

This is a very natural verb for things like:

• ointment
• cream
• lotion
• paint
• sauce, in some contexts

Both forms may be heard, but mengoleskan is very common when talking about applying something onto something.

A useful way to think about it:

• mengoles = smear/apply
• mengoleskan = apply/spread something onto a target

The suffix -kan often gives the sense of directing something onto something else.

Here, the body part is not mentioned, but it is understood:

• mengoleskan salep
  = apply the ointment
  implicitly onto the affected area

So mengoleskan sounds very natural in a medical instruction.

Salep means ointment.

It is used for medicated creams or ointments that you put on the skin.

Depending on context, English might translate it as:

• ointment
• salve
• sometimes cream if the exact product type is not important

But the core meaning is ointment.

Indonesian does not use articles like English a, an, and the.

So:

• dokter can mean a doctor or the doctor
• salep can mean ointment, an ointment, or the ointment

The exact meaning depends on context.

In this sentence, English often uses the doctor and the ointment or just ointment, but Indonesian does not need separate article words.

Dokter by itself is the most natural choice here.

You can say seorang dokter when you want to emphasize a doctor as one person or introduce someone more formally:

• Seorang dokter menyuruh saya...
  = A doctor told me...

But in ordinary conversation, dokter alone is very common and natural.

Saya is the standard polite/formal word for I / me.

So:

• Dokter menyuruh saya... = The doctor told me...

It fits well with a sentence involving a doctor, because the register is fairly neutral or polite.

A less formal version might use aku instead:

• Dokter menyuruh aku mengoleskan salep

That sounds more casual and conversational.

Dua kali sehari means twice a day.

Breakdown:

• dua = two
• kali = times
• sehari = per day / a day

So the pattern is:

number + kali + time period

Examples:

• satu kali sehari = once a day
• dua kali sehari = twice a day
• tiga kali seminggu = three times a week

This is a very common pattern in Indonesian.

Both can express frequency, but sehari is very natural and common in everyday Indonesian.

• dua kali sehari = twice a day
• dua kali per hari = twice per day

Both are understandable, but dua kali sehari is the more everyday, idiomatic phrasing.

The prefix se- here can mean per one:

• sehari = per day
• seminggu = per week
• sebulan = per month

The sentence follows a common Indonesian order:

Subject + Verb + Object/Person + Second Verb + Object + Time expression

So:

• Dokter = subject
• menyuruh = main verb
• saya = person being told
• mengoleskan = action to do
• salep = object of that action
• dua kali sehari = time/frequency expression

A rough structure is:

The doctor instructed me to apply ointment twice a day.

Indonesian often leaves out information that is understood from context.

So:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep dua kali sehari

does not say where the ointment should be applied, but the listener normally already knows:

• the rash
• the wound
• the affected area
• the skin problem being discussed

If needed, Indonesian can state it explicitly:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep pada bagian yang sakit dua kali sehari.
  = The doctor told me to apply the ointment to the affected area twice a day.

Yes, grammatically that is possible, because menyuruh can mean order or tell.

However, in natural English, with a doctor, the best translation is often:

• The doctor told me to apply ointment twice a day
• The doctor instructed me to apply ointment twice a day

Ordered me can sound too strong in English unless you specifically want that tone.

Not exactly.

• menyuruh = tell/order/instruct someone to do something
• meminta = ask/request

So menyuruh usually sounds stronger and more directive than meminta.

Compare:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep
  = The doctor told/instructed me to apply ointment

• Dokter meminta saya mengoleskan salep
  = The doctor asked me to apply ointment

In a medical context, menyuruh is very natural because the doctor is giving instructions.

Yes, Indonesian allows some flexibility with adverb placement.

The original sentence is very natural:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep dua kali sehari.

You may also hear:

• Dokter menyuruh saya mengoleskan salep sehari dua kali.

That also means twice a day, though dua kali sehari is probably the most straightforward pattern for learners.

A more formal version could use a different verb, such as menganjurkan or meminta depending on tone.

For example:

• Dokter menganjurkan saya untuk mengoleskan salep dua kali sehari.
  = The doctor advised/recommended that I apply ointment twice a day.

This sounds a bit more formal and softer than menyuruh.

But the original sentence is completely correct and natural.

That is saya.

In this sentence, saya is the person receiving the instruction:

• Dokter menyuruh saya...
  = The doctor told me...

Even though saya is also the form for I, Indonesian does not change the word the way English changes I to me.
The role is understood from sentence position and grammar.

So:

• Saya datang. = I came.
• Dokter menyuruh saya. = The doctor told me.

The same word saya can function as I or me depending on context.