Watoto hawapaswi kukimbia kwenye korido wakiwa wamevaa sandaali.

Swahili does not have articles like a, an, or the. Whether something is definite or indefinite is usually understood from context.

So korido can mean a corridor or the corridor, depending on the situation. In this sentence, English naturally uses the corridor, but Swahili does not need a separate word for that.

Hawapaswi means they should not or they are not supposed to.

It can be understood like this:

• ha- = negative marker
• wa- = they for plural people
• -paswi = from -paswa, meaning be supposed to / ought to

So hawapaswi = they should not.

This verb is very common when talking about rules, advice, or expectations.

Because watoto means children, and it belongs to the plural human noun class in Swahili. Verbs and related forms have to agree with that noun class.

So you get:

• watoto = children
• ha-wa-paswi = they should not
• wa-kiwa = while they are
• wa-mevaa = they are wearing / have put on

This agreement is a big part of Swahili grammar. English does not do this nearly as much, so it often feels very noticeable to learners.

Because kukimbia is the infinitive, meaning to run.

After -paswa (should / be supposed to), Swahili normally uses an infinitive to express the action:

• wanapaswa kusoma = they should study
• hawapaswi kukimbia = they should not run

So ku- here works like English to in to run.

Kwenye is a locative word. Depending on context, it can mean in, on, at, or sometimes inside/along a place or area.

In kwenye korido, the most natural English meaning is in the corridor or in the hallway.

Swahili locatives do not always match English prepositions one-for-one, so it is best to think of kwenye as a flexible location word.

Yes, you could, and it would still make sense.

In many situations:

• kwenye korido = in/on/at the corridor area
• katika korido = in the corridor

Kwenye often sounds very natural for physical locations and surfaces, while katika can sound a little more like inside/in. The difference is often small, and native speakers may use either depending on style and context.

Wakiwa introduces a subordinate idea meaning something like while they are, when they are, or if they are, depending on context.

Here it means while they are.

It is built from:

• wa- = they
• -ki- = a marker often used for while/when/if
• -wa = be

So wakiwa wamevaa sandaali means while they are wearing sandals.

Yes, literally it is a perfect-type form, and that is exactly why it is used.

• kuvaa = to put on / wear
• wamevaa literally suggests they have put on

But in Swahili, this often describes the resulting state, so wamevaa commonly means they are wearing.

Compare:

• wanavaa sandaali = they wear sandals / they are putting on sandals / they habitually wear sandals
• wamevaa sandaali = they are wearing sandals

So wamevaa is the right choice when the sentence is talking about the state they are already in.

Because the meaning would shift.

• wakivaa sandaali means something closer to when/if they put on sandals or when wearing sandals in a more action-focused way
• wakiwa wamevaa sandaali focuses on the state: while they are already wearing sandals

In this sentence, the idea is not the act of putting sandals on. It is the fact that they are already wearing them while running. That is why wakiwa wamevaa is a very natural choice.

In practice, words like sandali/sandaali are often treated as loanwords whose form does not change much between singular and plural. Context tells you what is meant.

So:

• it can refer to a sandal
• or to sandals as footwear in general

In this sentence, English naturally says sandals, because that is how we usually talk about this kind of footwear.

You may also see the spelling sandali. Spelling variation with long vowels in borrowed words is not unusual.

Yes. Swahili word order is somewhat flexible, especially with extra descriptive clauses like this one.

For example:

Wakiwa wamevaa sandaali, watoto hawapaswi kukimbia kwenye korido.

This still means the same basic thing: Children should not run in the corridor while wearing sandals.

The difference is mainly emphasis. Putting wakiwa wamevaa sandaali first highlights that condition earlier.

It is a loanword, ultimately related to corridor. Swahili uses many borrowed words, especially for buildings, technology, administration, and modern objects.

That is completely normal in Swahili. Learners should get used to seeing both native vocabulary and loanwords side by side.