diff --git a/components/lox-compile/src/compile.rs b/components/lox-compile/src/compile.rs
index 9939883..91e0e52 100644
--- a/components/lox-compile/src/compile.rs
+++ b/components/lox-compile/src/compile.rs
@@ -80,5 +80,6 @@ fn compile_expr(db: &dyn crate::Db, expr: &syntax::Expr, chunk: &mut Chunk) {
             let word_str = word.as_str(db);
             chunk.emit_byte(Code::Variable(word_str.to_string()))
         }
+        syntax::Expr::Assign { name, value } => todo!(),
     }
 }
diff --git a/components/lox-ir/src/syntax.rs b/components/lox-ir/src/syntax.rs
index a302ace..693ea3e 100644
--- a/components/lox-ir/src/syntax.rs
+++ b/components/lox-ir/src/syntax.rs
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ pub enum Expr {
 
     // `foo`
     Variable(Word),
+
+    // assignment expression, like `foo = 1 + 2`
+    Assign { name: Word, value: Box<Expr> },
 }
 
 impl<'db> salsa::DebugWithDb<dyn crate::Db + 'db> for Expr {
@@ -57,6 +60,11 @@ impl<'db> salsa::DebugWithDb<dyn crate::Db + 'db> for Expr {
             Expr::BooleanLiteral(value) => write!(f, "BooleanLiteral({})", value),
             Expr::StringLiteral(word) => write!(f, "StringLiteral({})", word.as_str(db)),
             Expr::Variable(word) => write!(f, "Variable({})", word.as_str(db)),
+            Expr::Assign { name, value } => f
+                .debug_struct("Assign")
+                .field("name", &name.as_str(db))
+                .field("value", &value.debug(db))
+                .finish(),
             _ => todo!(),
         }
     }
diff --git a/components/lox-parse/src/parser.rs b/components/lox-parse/src/parser.rs
index 38d2197..0899e8c 100644
--- a/components/lox-parse/src/parser.rs
+++ b/components/lox-parse/src/parser.rs
@@ -89,17 +89,38 @@ impl<'me> Parser<'me> {
         Some(Stmt::Expr(expr))
     }
 
-    // expression     → equality ;
-    // equality       → comparison ( ( "!=" | "==" ) comparison )* ;
-    // comparison     → term ( ( ">" | ">=" | "<" | "<=" ) term )* ;
-    // term           → factor ( ( "-" | "+" ) factor )* ;
-    // factor         → unary ( ( "/" | "*" ) unary )* ;
-    // unary          → ( "!" | "-" ) unary
+    // expression     -> assignment ;
+    // assignment     -> IDENTIFIER "=" assignment | equality ;
+    // equality       -> comparison ( ( "!=" | "==" ) comparison )* ;
+    // comparison     -> term ( ( ">" | ">=" | "<" | "<=" ) term )* ;
+    // term           -> factor ( ( "-" | "+" ) factor )* ;
+    // factor         -> unary ( ( "/" | "*" ) unary )* ;
+    // unary          -> ( "!" | "-" ) unary
     //             | primary ;
     // primary        → NUMBER | STRING | "true" | "false" | "nil"
     //             | "(" expression ")" ;
     fn parse_expr(&mut self) -> Option<Expr> {
-        self.equality()
+        self.assignment()
+    }
+
+    // assignment     -> IDENTIFIER "=" assignment | equality ;
+    // assignment is not a statement, it is an expression
+    fn assignment(&mut self) -> Option<Expr> {
+        let expr = self.equality()?;
+        if self.eat_op(Op::Equal).is_some() {
+            let value = self.assignment()?;
+            if let Expr::Variable(name) = expr {
+                return Some(Expr::Assign {
+                    name,
+                    value: Box::new(value),
+                });
+            } else {
+                // FIXME: we should use the span of the `expr` here
+                let span = self.tokens.peek_span();
+                self.error(span, "invalid assignment target").emit(self.db);
+            }
+        }
+        Some(expr)
     }
 
     fn equality(&mut self) -> Option<Expr> {
diff --git a/lox_tests/assignment.lox b/lox_tests/assignment.lox
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09b000e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lox_tests/assignment.lox
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+var a = 1;
+a = 2;
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lox_tests/assignment/bytecode b/lox_tests/assignment/bytecode
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2076a9f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lox_tests/assignment/bytecode
@@ -0,0 +1,15 @@
+Chunk {
+    code: [
+        Constant(
+            F64(
+                1.0,
+            ),
+        ),
+        VarDeclaration(
+            "a",
+        ),
+        Variable(
+            "a",
+        ),
+    ],
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lox_tests/assignment/execute b/lox_tests/assignment/execute
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ee4d08e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lox_tests/assignment/execute
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+execute: Constant(
+    F64(
+        1.0,
+    ),
+)
+stack: [
+    Number(
+        1.0,
+    ),
+]
+
+execute: VarDeclaration(
+    "a",
+)
+stack: []
+
+execute: Variable(
+    "a",
+)
+stack: [
+    Number(
+        1.0,
+    ),
+]
+
diff --git a/lox_tests/assignment/syntax b/lox_tests/assignment/syntax
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9becf31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lox_tests/assignment/syntax
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+Var {
+    name: "a",
+    initializer: Some(
+        NumberLiteral(1),
+    ),
+}
+Expr {
+    expr: Assign {
+        name: "a",
+        value: NumberLiteral(2),
+    },
+}
diff --git a/lox_tests/assignment/token b/lox_tests/assignment/token
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..0742858
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lox_tests/assignment/token
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+TokenTree {
+    source text: "var a = 1;\na = 2;",
+    tokens: [
+        Alphabetic(var),
+        Whitespace(' '),
+        Alphabetic(a),
+        Whitespace(' '),
+        Op(=),
+        Whitespace(' '),
+        Number(1),
+        Semicolon,
+        Whitespace('\n'),
+        Alphabetic(a),
+        Whitespace(' '),
+        Op(=),
+        Whitespace(' '),
+        Number(2),
+        Semicolon,
+    ],
+}
\ No newline at end of file