diff --git a/packages/date/src/index.ts b/packages/date/src/index.ts
index 7c8fa480f2..65c2685561 100644
--- a/packages/date/src/index.ts
+++ b/packages/date/src/index.ts
@@ -3,4 +3,5 @@ export * from "./datetime";
 export * from "./format";
 export * from "./i18n";
 export * from "./iterators";
+export * from "./relative";
 export * from "./round";
diff --git a/packages/date/src/relative.ts b/packages/date/src/relative.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c8b31f96e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/date/src/relative.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,111 @@
+import { assert } from "@thi.ng/api";
+import { DateTime, dateTime } from "./datetime";
+
+/**
+ * Takes a relative time `offset` string in plain english and an optional `base`
+ * date (default: now). Parses `offset` and returns new date with relative
+ * offset applied.
+ *
+ * @remarks
+ * This function only handles the parsing and input normalization aspect for
+ * {@link relative}. The latter function applies the actual offset.
+ *
+ * The following input formats are supported:
+ *
+ * - `"tomorrow"` / `"yesterday"` - ±1 day
+ * - `"<num><period><" ago">?"` - ±num periods, if `ago` is given, the offset
+ *   will be applied towards the past
+ *
+ * If using the latter form:
+ *
+ * - `<num>` can be an positive integer or the strings `"next "`, `"a "` or `"an
+ *   "`
+ * - `<period>` can be:
+ *   - `s` / `sec` / `secs` / `second` / `seconds`
+ *   - `min` / `mins` / `minute` / `minutes`
+ *   - `h` / `hour` / `hours`
+ *   - `d` / `day` / `days`
+ *   - `m` / `month` / `months`
+ *   - `y` / `year` / `years`
+ *
+ * @param offset
+ * @param base
+ */
+export const parseRelative = (
+    offset: string,
+    base: DateTime | Date | number = Date.now()
+) => {
+    const epoch = dateTime(base);
+    switch (offset) {
+        case "tomorrow":
+            epoch.incDay();
+            return epoch;
+        case "yesterday":
+            epoch.decDay();
+            return epoch;
+        default: {
+            const match = /^(an? |next |\d+\s?)(s(?:(ecs?|onds?))?|min(?:(s|utes?))?|h(?:ours?)?|d(?:ays?)?|w(?:eeks?)?|m(?:onths?)?|y(?:ears?)?)(\s+ago)?$/.exec(
+                offset
+            );
+            assert(!!match, `can't parse time offset string: '${offset}'`);
+            console.log(match);
+            const $num = match![1];
+            const num =
+                ($num === "next " || $num === "a " || $num === "an "
+                    ? 1
+                    : Number($num)) * (match![4] ? -1 : 1);
+            let period = match![2];
+            period =
+                period !== "s" && period.endsWith("s")
+                    ? period.substr(0, period.length - 1)
+                    : period;
+            period =
+                (<const>{
+                    s: "second",
+                    sec: "second",
+                    min: "minute",
+                    h: "hour",
+                    d: "day",
+                    w: "week",
+                    m: "month",
+                    y: "year",
+                })[period] || period;
+            return relative(num, <any>period, base);
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+/**
+ * Applies the given relative offset (defined by `num` and `period`) to the
+ * optionally given `base` date (default: now). If `num < 0` the new date will
+ * be in the past.
+ *
+ * @param num
+ * @param period
+ * @param base
+ * @returns
+ */
+export const relative = (
+    num: number,
+    period: "second" | "minute" | "hour" | "day" | "week" | "month" | "year",
+    base: DateTime | Date | number = Date.now()
+) => {
+    const op =
+        (num > 0 ? "inc" : "dec") +
+        (<const>{
+            second: "Second",
+            minute: "Minute",
+            hour: "Hour",
+            day: "Day",
+            week: "Week",
+            month: "Month",
+            year: "Year",
+        })[period]!;
+    const epoch = dateTime(base);
+    num = Math.abs(num);
+    for (let i = 0; i < num; i++) {
+        // @ts-ignore
+        epoch[op]();
+    }
+    return epoch;
+};