Saya memakai mantel tipis ketika hujan ringan.

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Breakdown of Saya memakai mantel tipis ketika hujan ringan.

• saya: I
• ketika: when
• hujan: the rain

Questions & Answers about Saya memakai mantel tipis ketika hujan ringan.

Why is it memakai and not just pakai?

Memakai is the standard active-verb form of pakai.

• base word: pakai = to use, to wear
• with the meN- prefix: memakai = to use, to wear

This is very common in standard Indonesian, especially in writing or careful speech.

Why memakai and not mepakai? Because when meN- is added to a base starting with p, the p usually disappears:

• meN- + pakai → memakai

In casual speech, people often just say pakai:

• Saya pakai mantel tipis saat gerimis.

So both are possible, but memakai sounds more standard/formal.

Does memakai mean wear or use?

It can mean both.

Common meanings of memakai:

• to wear clothing or accessories
• to use an object, tool, method, language, etc.

Examples:

• Saya memakai mantel. = I wear a coat.
• Saya memakai komputer. = I use a computer.

Here, because the object is mantel, the meaning is clearly wear.

Why is tipis after mantel instead of before it?