diff --git a/src/list.c b/src/list.c
index 0386657..b834eda 100644
--- a/src/list.c
+++ b/src/list.c
@@ -43,6 +43,14 @@ LakeList *list_make(void)
     return list;
 }
 
+LakeList *list_cons(LakeVal *car, LakeVal *cdr)
+{
+    LakeList *list = list_make_with_capacity(2);
+    list->vals[0] = car;
+    list->vals[1] = cdr;
+    return list;
+}
+
 LakeList *list_make_with_capacity(size_t cap)
 {
     LakeList *list = list_alloc();
diff --git a/src/list.h b/src/list.h
index e15a066..8c40fd1 100644
--- a/src/list.h
+++ b/src/list.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "string.h"
 
 LakeList *list_make(void);
+LakeList *list_cons(LakeVal *car, LakeVal *cdr);
 void list_free(LakeList *list);
 LakeList *list_make_with_capacity(size_t cap);
 LakeList *list_from_array(size_t n, LakeVal *vals[]);
diff --git a/src/primitive.c b/src/primitive.c
index 6af7d8f..40d525a 100644
--- a/src/primitive.c
+++ b/src/primitive.c
@@ -164,6 +164,35 @@ static LakeVal *prim_int_eq(LakeList *args)
     return VAL(bool_from_int(result));
 }
 
+static LakeVal *prim_car(LakeList *args)
+{
+    LakeList *list = LIST(LIST_VAL(args, 0));
+    if (IS(TYPE_LIST, list) && LIST_N(list) > 0) {
+        return LIST_VAL(list, 0);
+    }
+    ERR("not a pair: %s", list_repr(list));
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static LakeVal *prim_cdr(LakeList *args)
+{
+    LakeList *list = LIST(LIST_VAL(args, 0));
+    if (IS(TYPE_LIST, list) && LIST_N(list) > 0) {
+        LakeList *cdr = list_copy(list);
+        list_shift(cdr);
+        return VAL(cdr);
+    }
+    ERR("not a pair: %s", list_repr(list));
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static LakeVal *prim_cons(LakeList *args)
+{
+    LakeVal *car = LIST_VAL(args, 0);
+    LakeVal *cdr = LIST_VAL(args, 1);
+    return VAL(list_cons(car, cdr));
+}
+
 Env *primitive_bindings(void)
 {
     #define DEFINE(name, fn, arity) env_define(env, sym_intern(name), VAL(prim_make(name, arity, fn)))
@@ -177,5 +206,8 @@ Env *primitive_bindings(void)
     DEFINE("*", prim_mul, ARITY_VARARGS);
     DEFINE("/", prim_div, ARITY_VARARGS);
     DEFINE("=", prim_int_eq, ARITY_VARARGS);
+    DEFINE("car", prim_car, 1);
+    DEFINE("cdr", prim_cdr, 1);
+    DEFINE("cons", prim_cons, 2);
     return env;
 }