diff --git a/source/mijin/util/formattable.hpp b/source/mijin/util/formattable.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b1f914
--- /dev/null
+++ b/source/mijin/util/formattable.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+
+#pragma once
+
+#ifndef MIJIN_UTIL_FORMATTABLE_HPP_INCLUDED
+#define MIJIN_UTIL_FORMATTABLE_HPP_INCLUDED 1
+
+#include <format>
+#include "../container/boxed_object.hpp"
+
+namespace mijin
+{
+
+//
+// public concepts
+//
+
+template<typename T>
+concept parse_result_type = requires
+{
+    typename T::parse_result_t;
+};
+
+template<typename T, typename TParseContext>
+concept parseable_by_type = parse_result_type &&
+        requires(const T& object, TParseContext& parseContext)
+{
+    { T::parseFormat(parseContext) } -> std::convertible_to<std::pair<typename TParseContext::iterator, typename T::parse_result_t>>;
+};
+
+template<typename T, typename TFmtContext>
+concept simple_formattable_to_type = requires(const T& object, TFmtContext& formatContext)
+{
+    { object.format(formatContext) } -> std::convertible_to<typename TFmtContext::iterator>;
+};
+
+template<typename T, typename TFmtContext, typename TParseContext>
+concept complex_formattable_to_type = parseable_by_type<T, TParseContext> &&
+        requires(const T& object, TParseContext& parseContext, TFmtContext& formatContext, T::parse_result_t& parseResult)
+{
+    { object.format(formatContext, parseResult) } -> std::convertible_to<typename TFmtContext::iterator>;
+};
+
+template<typename T, typename TFmtContext, typename TParseContext>
+concept formattable_to_type = simple_formattable_to_type<T, TFmtContext> || complex_formattable_to_type<T, TFmtContext, TParseContext>;
+
+template<typename T>
+concept cformattable_type = formattable_to_type<T, std::format_context, std::format_parse_context>;
+
+template<typename T>
+concept wformattable_type = formattable_to_type<T, std::wformat_context, std::wformat_parse_context>;
+
+template<typename T>
+concept formattable_type = cformattable_type<T> && wformattable_type<T>;
+
+template<typename T>
+concept any_formattable_type = cformattable_type<T> || wformattable_type<T>;
+
+//
+// internal types
+//
+
+namespace impl
+{
+template<typename T>
+struct ParseResult
+{
+};
+
+template<parse_result_type T>
+struct ParseResult<T>
+{
+    BoxedObject<typename T::parse_result_t> value;
+};
+}
+} // namespace mijin
+
+template<mijin::any_formattable_type T>
+struct std::formatter<T>
+{
+    [[no_unique_address]] [[maybe_unused]] mijin::impl::ParseResult<T> parseResult;
+
+    template<typename TContext>
+    constexpr TContext::iterator parse(TContext& ctx)
+    {
+        if constexpr (mijin::parse_result_type<T>)
+        {
+            static_assert(mijin::parseable_by_type<T, TContext>, "Type does not support parsing by this context.");
+            auto [it, result] = T::parseFormat(ctx);
+            parseResult.value.construct(std::move(result));
+            return it;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            auto it = ctx.begin();
+            auto end = ctx.end();
+
+            if (it != end && *it != '}')
+            {
+                throw std::format_error("invalid format");
+            }
+
+            return it;
+        }
+    }
+
+    template<typename TContext>
+    TContext::iterator format(const T& object, TContext& ctx) const
+    {
+        if constexpr (mijin::parse_result_type<T>)
+        {
+            auto it = object.format(ctx, std::move(*parseResult.value));
+            parseResult.destroy();
+            return it;
+        }
+        else
+        {
+            static_assert(mijin::simple_formattable_to_type<T, TContext>, "Type does not support formatting to this context.");
+            return object.format(ctx);
+        }
+    }
+};
+#endif // MIJIN_UTIL_FORMATTABLE_HPP_INCLUDED