Saya memakai obat kumur.

Memakai means to use or to wear, depending on context. In Saya memakai obat kumur, it means I use mouthwash.

The base word is pakai = to use / wear.
Adding the prefix me- makes it a more standard verb: memakai.

So:

• pakai = use, wear
• memakai = to use, to wear

In everyday speech, Indonesians often say Saya pakai obat kumur too. That sounds natural and casual.

Because it is a noun phrase made of:

• obat = medicine, remedy
• kumur = to rinse the mouth / gargle

So obat kumur literally means something like rinsing medicine, which is the Indonesian term for mouthwash.

Many Indonesian compound nouns are written as two separate words, so this is normal.

Yes, it is natural and correct.

It clearly means I use mouthwash. Depending on context, Indonesians might also say:

• Saya pakai obat kumur.
• Saya menggunakan obat kumur.

All are understandable. Memakai is a very normal everyday choice.

Both can mean to use.

• memakai is very common in everyday speech
• menggunakan is a bit more formal or neutral

So:

• Saya memakai obat kumur. = natural, common
• Saya menggunakan obat kumur. = also correct, slightly more formal

In many situations, they are interchangeable.

Yes. That is an important point.

Memakai can mean:

• to use → memakai obat kumur = use mouthwash
• to wear → memakai baju = wear clothes

The object tells you which meaning is intended. Since obat kumur is a product you use, the meaning here is use, not wear.

Indonesian word order is often similar to English:

• Saya = I
• memakai = use
• obat kumur = mouthwash

So it follows a basic Subject + Verb + Object pattern:

• Saya
  • memakai
    • obat kumur

This is one reason Indonesian sentence structure often feels approachable for English speakers.

No, not by itself.

Indonesian verbs do not change form for tense the way English verbs do.
So Saya memakai obat kumur could mean:

• I use mouthwash
• I am using mouthwash
• I used mouthwash

The time is usually understood from context or from time words such as:

• sekarang = now
• kemarin = yesterday
• besok = tomorrow
• setiap hari = every day

For example:

• Saya memakai obat kumur setiap hari. = I use mouthwash every day.
• Tadi saya memakai obat kumur. = Earlier I used mouthwash.

Sometimes, yes.

In conversation, Indonesian often drops the subject if it is already clear from context. So Memakai obat kumur might be understood in the right situation, but on its own it sounds less complete.

For learners, it is safest to keep saya:

• Saya memakai obat kumur.

That is clear and fully natural.

A simple approximation is:

• obat → OH-baht
• kumur → KOO-moor

A few helpful notes:

• o is usually a clear o sound, not the many different English o sounds
• u is like oo in food
• the r in kumur is typically tapped or lightly rolled

So the whole phrase sounds roughly like sah-YAH mem-AH-kai OH-baht KOO-moor.

No, not in normal interpretation.

Even though memakai can mean to wear, the noun obat kumur only makes sense as something you use, not something you wear. Indonesian relies a lot on context and common sense in cases like this.

So here the meaning is definitely I use mouthwash.

It is the standard and most useful term to know.

Sometimes people may also say phrases that describe rinsing the mouth, but obat kumur is the normal noun for the product mouthwash.

So if you want to say mouthwash in Indonesian, obat kumur is the best choice.