Questions & Answers about הם ביקשו שכר גבוה יותר.
Can הם be omitted here?
Yes. Hebrew often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb already shows person and number. ביקשו שכר גבוה יותר still means they asked for higher pay.
Keeping הם can add:
- emphasis
- contrast
- clarity
So both versions are possible, but the version with הם is perfectly natural.
What form is ביקשו?
ביקשו is the past tense, third person plural form of לבקש, which means to ask, to request, or sometimes to seek.
Examples:
- הוא ביקש = he asked
- היא ביקשה = she asked
- הם ביקשו = they asked
So in this sentence, ביקשו matches הם.
Why isn't there a separate word for for after ביקשו?
Because Hebrew לבקש usually takes the thing requested directly.
English says:
- ask for a higher salary
Hebrew says more literally:
- requested a higher salary
So ביקשו שכר גבוה יותר is normal Hebrew, even though English needs for.
Why is there no את before שכר?