Practice
Your partner and the AI
Partners are matched by level: Tomyo first looks for someone close to your HSK. If nobody turns up, the requirement gradually relaxes and after a while drops entirely — a live person a level off beats no partner at all.
Why the requirement relaxes
There are few learners at the ends of the scale: those just starting or nearly finished could wait forever for an exact match. So the longer a scene waits unanswered, the wider the acceptable gap in levels.
It never goes back: once widened, the requirement does not narrow again while the scene waits. That keeps matching from oscillating and undoing its own decisions.
If your partner goes quiet
When it is their turn and they stay silent for a long time, the stalled scene stops holding you: you can start a new exchange without losing the old one. It stays alive, and they can still come back and finish it.
If they never return, the scene closes on its own after a while. Nothing needs doing on your side.
Continuing with Tomyo AI
Instead of waiting you can continue the scene with the AI: it steps into the absent partner’s role and plays one turn towards the goal. It is not an open chat — the exchange stays turn-based and never runs past the goal.
Who you see
Your partner has a profile card: name, avatar, level and study goals. This is another learner rather than an anonymous stranger — which is also why the exchange comes with rules.