Learn Hardcore Hungarian: Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom, és közben az interneten keresek információt. - At home I work on the computer, and at the same time I search for information on the internet.

dolgozom ends in -om, which is the 1st person singular ending → I work / I am working
keresek ends in -ek, which is also 1st person singular (indefinite) → I search / I am searching

You would say Én dolgozom only for emphasis, e.g. I am the one who is working (not you).
In a normal neutral sentence, just the verb form is enough.

Why is the word order Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom and not something like Dolgozom otthon a számítógépen?

Hungarian word order is driven by information structure more than by strict grammar rules. A common neutral pattern is roughly:

[old/known information] – [focus (the most important new element)] – [finite verb] – [rest]

In Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom:

Otthon (at home) – sets the scene (where in general)
a számítógépen (on the computer) – is just before the verb, so it’s in focus
dolgozom – finite verb

So the sentence naturally answers something like:

Otthon hogyan dolgozol? – At home, *how do you work?
→ Otthon **a számítógépen dolgozom. (At home I work **on the computer.*)

You can say Dolgozom otthon a számítógépen, but that has a more “flat” structure and feels less typical in careful, neutral Hungarian. Putting a számítógépen right before dolgozom highlights on the computer.

Does a számítógépen mean at the computer or on the computer? Why is the ending -en used?

a számítógépen literally uses the superessive case (on, on top of), with the suffix -on / -en / -ön, depending on vowel harmony:

back vowels → -on (e.g. asztalon – on the table)
front vowels → -en / -ön (e.g. széken, földön)

számítógép has front vowels, so you get számítógépen: on the computer.

In practice:

a számítógépen dolgozom = I work *on the computer / at the computer* (location)
It’s the normal way to say you are doing your work using the computer as your working place/interface.

What is the difference between a számítógépen dolgozom and számítógéppel dolgozom?

Both are correct but slightly different in nuance:

a számítógépen dolgozom
- superessive -en = on/at the computer
- focuses on where the work happens / what interface you use.
számítógéppel dolgozom
- -val / -vel = with, using
- focuses on the instrument: I work *with a computer (as a tool).*

In many contexts, they overlap and both could translate as I work on a computer, but:

If you emphasize the tool, számítógéppel is more explicit.
If you emphasize the place/interface, a számítógépen is more natural.

Why do we say otthon here and not itthon or haza?

These three are related but different:

otthon – at home (neutral, no reference to where the speaker is now)
- Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom. – At home I work on the computer.
itthon – at home here (where I am now)
- Itthon dolgozom. – I work at home (here, where I am).
haza – home(ward), direction towards home
- Hazamegyek. – I’m going home.

In your sentence you’re describing your typical working place at home, so otthon is the right choice.

What exactly does közben mean, and what is its role in és közben az interneten keresek információt?

közben is an adverbial word meaning roughly:

in the meantime
while (this is happening)

In és közben az interneten keresek információt it links the second action to the first:

I work on the computer at home, *and meanwhile I search for information on the internet.*

Grammatically, közben is a time adverb modifying the whole second clause. It tells us that the searching happens at the same time as the working.

Can közben be placed somewhere else in the clause, like at the end or at the beginning?

Yes, közben is quite flexible, but the nuance changes slightly.

Possible variants:

És közben az interneten keresek információt.
– Neutral: And meanwhile I search for information on the internet.
És az interneten közben keresek információt.
– Puts a bit of rhythmical/emphatic stress on közben; less common in writing.
És az interneten keresek közben információt.
– Sounds somewhat awkward; közben usually comes earlier.
Közben az interneten keresek információt.
– Perfectly fine if you drop és and start a new sentence: Meanwhile I search…

Your original word order (és közben az interneten…) is the most natural and clear.

Why is it az interneten keresek információt and not információt keresek az interneten?

Both are grammatically correct; the difference is focus.

In az interneten keresek információt:

The element right before the verb keresek is az interneten, so the internet is in focus:
- It’s *on the internet that I look for information (not in books, not from colleagues, etc.).*

In információt keresek az interneten:

The focus is információt (information):
- I look for *information on the internet (not videos / not music / not something else).*

So the original sentence emphasizes the internet as the source/place of the search.

Why is there an article in a számítógépen and az interneten, but no article before információt?

Hungarian uses the definite articles a/az similarly to English the, but with its own rules.

a számítógépen – on the computer
az interneten – on the internet

These refer to specific, known things:

the computer I use at home
the internet (a unique, well-known thing)

But információt appears without article:

információt (no article) → some information / information in general

So:

az interneten keresek információt = I’m looking for (some) information on the internet
(not for specific, previously mentioned information)

If it were az információt, it would mean that (specific) information:

az interneten keresem az információt – I’m looking for the information on the internet (a particular piece previously known).

Why does információt end in -t?

The -t at the end of információt marks the accusative case (direct object).

Basic form: információ – information
Accusative: információt – information (as the object of the verb)

In Hungarian, direct objects usually take the -t ending:

könyv → könyvet (a book → a book (object))
filmet nézek – I’m watching a film
információt keresek – I’m searching for information

So információt is information as the thing being searched for.

Why is információt singular? Could we say információkat?

Hungarian információ works more like a countable noun than in English, where information is usually uncountable.

információt keresek – I’m looking for information / some information
(singular, indefinite; quantity not specified)
információkat keresek – I’m looking for pieces of information / several pieces of information

So:

In most general cases, when you mean information in a broad sense, információt (singular) is more natural.
Use információkat when you clearly want to stress multiple distinct items of information.

Why is the verb keresek and not keresem?

Hungarian verbs have two main conjugations:

indefinite conjugation – used when:
- there is no direct object, or
- the object is indefinite (no article, or egy "a/an/some", or general)
definite conjugation – used when:
- the object is definite (with a/az, ez/az, a proper name, etc.)

In the sentence:

információt – no article, indefinite → some information
Therefore the verb must be indefinite: keresek (not keresem).

Compare:

Információt keresek. – I’m looking for (some) information. (indefinite object → keresek)
Az információt keresem. – I’m looking for *the information. (definite object → *keresem)

Is dolgozom a present continuous like I am working, or a simple present like I work?

Hungarian has one present tense, and context decides whether you translate it as:

English simple present (I work), or
English present continuous (I am working).

dolgozom can mean:

I work (generally / habitually)
I am working (right now)

In your full sentence, both readings are possible:

Habitual: At home I (typically) work on the computer and meanwhile I look for information on the internet.
Right now (if the context makes it clear): I’m at home working on the computer, and meanwhile I’m searching for information on the internet.

Hungarian often adds words like most (now), éppen (currently, just now) to make the “continuous” meaning explicit:

Most otthon a számítógépen dolgozom, és közben az interneten keresek információt.
– Right now I’m at home working on the computer, and meanwhile I’m searching for information on the internet.

Why is there a comma before és közben?

Hungarian punctuation normally puts a comma between two independent clauses joined by és (and), de (but), vagy (or), etc., more often than English does.

In your sentence:

Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom – first clause
(és) közben az interneten keresek információt – second clause

So we write:

Otthon a számítógépen dolgozom, és közben az interneten keresek információt.

In English you might drop the comma, but in Hungarian it’s standard and expected in this structure.