הם ביקשו שכר גבוה יותר.

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.

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.

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.

Because את is used before a definite direct object, and here the object is indefinite.

• שכר גבוה יותר = a higher salary / higher pay
• not the higher salary

Compare:

• הם ביקשו שכר גבוה יותר = they asked for a higher salary
• הם ביקשו את השכר הגבוה יותר = they asked for the higher salary

So the lack of את is completely normal here.

שכר means pay, wages, or salary. It is a broad, common word in work and money contexts.

A related word is משכורת, which often refers to a regular salary or paycheck. But שכר is very natural in this sentence and can easily be translated as salary or pay, depending on context.

Because גבוה is describing שכר, and שכר is masculine singular.

In Hebrew, adjectives agree with the noun in:

• gender
• number
• definiteness

So:

• שכר גבוה = high pay / high salary
• משכורת גבוהה = high salary with a feminine noun

That is why גבוה is the correct form here.

Hebrew usually makes comparatives with adjective + יותר.

So:

• גבוה = high
• גבוה יותר = higher

English often adds -er, but Hebrew normally does not. It uses יותר instead.

More examples:

• יקר = expensive
• יקר יותר = more expensive
• מהיר = fast
• מהיר יותר = faster

Because in Hebrew, adjectives usually come after the noun they describe.

So:

• שכר גבוה = literally salary high
• natural English: high salary

Then יותר is added to the adjective:

• שכר גבוה יותר = higher salary

This is the normal Hebrew word order.

You may hear יותר גבוה in everyday speech, and many native speakers do say it. But גבוה יותר is a very standard and reliable pattern, especially for learners and in more careful Hebrew.

So שכר גבוה יותר is an excellent version to learn and use.

Because the phrase is indefinite. It means a higher salary or simply higher pay, not the higher salary.

If it were definite, you would say:

• השכר הגבוה יותר = the higher salary

In Hebrew, definiteness is usually shown with ה־, and the adjective agrees with that definiteness too.

Its basic meaning is asked or requested. In context, it can sound fairly serious or firm, especially in negotiations, but it is still usually weaker than דרשו, which means demanded.

So this sentence suggests that they requested higher pay, not necessarily that they demanded it.

A common transliteration is:

hem bikshu sakhar gavoha yoter

Rough pronunciation:

• הם = hem
• ביקשו = bik-SHU
• שכר = sa-KHAR
• גבוה = ga-VO-ha
• יותר = yo-TER

The kh sound in שכר is like the sound in Scottish loch.