Conversational Chinese Fluency
Bridge the gap between textbook grammar and natural, native-level expression. Master the nuances of particles, resultative structures, and cultural subtext to speak Chinese with confidence and character.
Like Duolingo, but for Conversational Chinese Fluency. Tomo turns the whole topic into a game you play five minutes a day, until it actually sticks.
71 levels across 7 sections, about 142 minutes end to end, roughly 28 days at five minutes a day. It moves through Sounding Like a Local; Precision in Action; Describing the World Vividly; Time, Sequence, and Logic; Social Dynamics and Register; Advanced Communication Strategies; and The Logic of the Language. It assumes you already know the basics.
Free forever · No credit card · iPhone & Android
Key ideas in Conversational Chinese Fluency
- Using 'nàge' as a placeholder
- Using 'jiùshì' to bridge thoughts
- Constant verbal feedback
- Pitch and length of 'èn'
- Using 'nàge' and 'jiùshì' to maintain conversational flow
- Active listening particles
- The particle 'ba' lowers the 'force' of a sentence to invite agreement rather than demand it
- 'Rànhòu' is the primary logical connector for 'and then' when telling a sequence of events
- Using 'ba' is essential in social settings to avoid appearing overly blunt or bossy
- Using 'nàge' and 'jiùshì' to maintain conversational flow while searching for a word
- Overusing 'rànhòu' is a common intermediate trait that mimics how native speakers pace their stories
- Matching active listening particles to their specific conversational function
- The role of 'rànhòu' in structuring a chronological narrative
- 'Nà' (short for nàme) functions as 'In that case' or 'So...' to transition based on previous info
- Using 'ba' to transform a command into a suggestion
- Starting a sentence with 'nà' signals that you are summarizing the situation or moving to a result
You've tried the other tabs
Thirty open tabs. Four facts you actually kept.
You watched. You nodded. By Sunday it was gone.
One answer, then back to scrolling.
Eight weeks. You meant to finish. You didn't.
Tomo gives Conversational Chinese Fluency the Duolingo treatment: levels, streaks, and quick quizzes that test what you just learned. That game loop is what the tabs above never had, so it's the one you actually finish.
Here's what playing it feels like
A real question from this course. Take your best guess.
Which word acts like a bridge to help you clarify a thought, similar to saying 'it's like...'?
Get it right to open this lesson and 70 more in the app.
How to learn Conversational Chinese Fluency, step by step
Go in order. 71 short levels across 7 sections, about 2 hours 22 minutes in all, five minutes a day.
- 1
Sounding Like a Local
- Conversational Glue and Fillers
- The Nuance of Modal Particles
- 2
Precision in Action
- Resultative Complements
- Directional Complements in Depth
- The 'Ba' (把) Construction Mastery
- 3
Describing the World Vividly
- Advanced Comparison Structures
- Adjective Reduplication and Intensity
- 4
Time, Sequence, and Logic
- Temporal Logic: Jiu, Cai, and Gang
- Complex Conjunctions and Flow
- The 'Shi... De' Construction
- 5
Social Dynamics and Register
- Politeness and Face (Mianzi)
- Formal vs. Informal Registers
- Idiomatic Thinking and Chengyu
- 6
Advanced Communication Strategies
- Handling Misunderstandings
- Expressing Opinions and Arguments
- Regional Variations and Accents
- 7
The Logic of the Language
- Word Formation and Collocations
- Decoding Implicit Meaning
7 sections · 18 units · 71 levels. Built to play, not to enroll.
Questions about Conversational Chinese Fluency
How do I learn Conversational Chinese Fluency?
Go in order: start with Sounding Like a Local, then Precision in Action, then Describing the World Vividly, then Time, Sequence, and Logic, and 3 more sections after that. On Tomo that's 71 short levels, about 2 hours 22 minutes in all, played five minutes a day. Start free and play the first level in under a minute.
Is there a Duolingo-style app for Conversational Chinese Fluency?
Yes. Tomo works like Duolingo: short daily lessons, streaks and quick quizzes. Conversational Chinese Fluency is one of its free courses, and you can type any other topic to get a course of your own.
Is the Conversational Chinese Fluency course free?
Yes. Conversational Chinese Fluency is playable on Tomo's free plan, which doesn't expire. No credit card, no waitlist. Download the app and start your first lesson.
How long does it take to learn Conversational Chinese Fluency?
71 levels across 7 sections, about 2 hours 22 minutes of play in total. It's built for five minutes a day, so you finish it a little at a time instead of all at once.
Do I need any background to start Conversational Chinese Fluency?
No. It's pitched at an intermediate level, so it starts where you are and builds up. If you can tap a phone, you can start.
Tomo is in ChatGPT
Tomo is also a ChatGPT plugin: the same playable courses, built and played inside your chat.
Add Tomo to ChatGPT- What to ask
- “Make me a Tomo course on black holes.” “Turn this chat into a Tomo course.”
- What you get
- Quick questions with instant feedback, hearts and stars, ready to play in about a minute.
- Where it goes
- No sign-up to start. Connect your Tomo account and your streak carries on in the app.
You pick the voice
Conversational Chinese Fluency is taught in the Explain Like I'm 5 style: no big words. promise.. Want a different feel? In the app you can spin up the same topic in any of Tomo's teaching styles. Same facts, totally different vibe.
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Start Conversational Chinese Fluency today.
Download Tomo, search Conversational Chinese Fluency, and play your first lesson in under a minute.