diff --git a/compiler/src/IR.hs b/compiler/src/IR.hs
index 2c23373..f31aa05 100644
--- a/compiler/src/IR.hs
+++ b/compiler/src/IR.hs
@@ -281,6 +281,7 @@ instance WellFormedIRCheck IRExpr where
                      , "fprintlnWithLabels"
                      , "fwrite"                     
                      , "getTime"
+                     , "getType"
                      , "getNanoTime"
                      , "getStdout"
                      , "guard"
diff --git a/rt/src/UserRuntime.mts b/rt/src/UserRuntime.mts
index c429397..d326358 100644
--- a/rt/src/UserRuntime.mts
+++ b/rt/src/UserRuntime.mts
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ import { RuntimeAssert } from './builtins/runtimeassert.mjs'
 import { BuiltinService } from './builtins/service.mjs'
 import { BuiltinString } from './builtins/string.mjs'
 import { BuiltinRecordReflection } from './builtins/recordReflection.mjs'
+import { BuiltinTypeInformation } from './builtins/types.mjs'
 
 let BuiltSpawnSendReceive = x => BuiltinSpawn(BuiltinSend(BuiltinReceive(x)))
 
@@ -60,5 +61,6 @@ export const UserRuntime =
     BuiltinDebugUtils(
     BuiltinMath(
     BuiltinRecordReflection(
-    BuiltinStdIo(UserRuntimeZero)
-    )))))))))))))))))))))))))))
+    BuiltinTypeInformation(
+    BuiltinStdIo(UserRuntimeZero)    
+    ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))
diff --git a/rt/src/builtins/types.mts b/rt/src/builtins/types.mts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..bc1d890
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rt/src/builtins/types.mts
@@ -0,0 +1,76 @@
+'use strict'
+import { UserRuntimeZero, Constructor, mkBase } from './UserRuntimeZero.mjs'
+import { LVal } from '../Lval.mjs';
+import { assertIsNTuple, assertIsRecord, assertIsString, assertIsUnit, assertNormalState } from '../Asserts.mjs'
+import { Record } from "../Record.mjs";
+import { lub } from '../options.mjs';
+import { __unit } from '../UnitVal.mjs';
+import { TroupeType } from '../TroupeTypes.mjs';
+
+export function BuiltinTypeInformation<TBase extends Constructor<UserRuntimeZero>>(Base: TBase) {
+    return class extends Base {        
+	// returns a string containing the type information 
+        getType = mkBase((larg) => {
+	     let _t = "unknown" // 2024-03-18; todo: add proper type	
+	     switch (larg.val._troupeType) {
+		case TroupeType.UNIT: 
+			_t = "unit";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.BOOLEAN: 
+			_t = "boolean";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.NUMBER: 
+			_t = "number";
+			break;
+				
+		case TroupeType.STRING: 
+			_t = "string";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.PROCESS_ID: 
+			_t = "process_id";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.LEVEL: 
+			_t = "level";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.AUTHORITY: 
+			_t = "authority";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.CLOSURE: 
+			_t = "function";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.TUPLE: 
+			_t = "tuple";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.LIST: 
+			_t = "list";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.RECORD: 
+			_t = "record";
+			break;
+		case TroupeType.LOCALOBJECT: 
+			_t = "localobject";
+			break;
+		default:
+			switch (typeof larg.val)  {
+				case 'string':
+					_t = "string";
+					break;
+				case 'number':
+					_t = "number";
+					break;
+				case 'boolean':
+					_t = "boolean"
+					break;
+			}
+	     }
+	     return this.runtime.ret (
+		 new LVal ( _t
+			  , lub (larg.tlev, this.runtime.$t.pc)
+			  , this.runtime.$t.pc)
+	     )
+
+
+
+        })
+    }
+}
diff --git a/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.golden b/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.golden
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4756df4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.golden
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+2024-03-18T10:10:03.645Z [RTM] info: Skipping network creation. Observe that all external IO operations will yield a runtime error.
+>>> Main thread finished with value: ["string"@{}%{}, "function"@{}%{}, "number"@{}%{}, "unit"@{}%{}, "record"@{}%{}]@{}%{}
diff --git a/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.trp b/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.trp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..db345f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/rt/pos/core/gettype.trp
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+(* we want a simple function 
+   getType x that returns 
+   the information about the type
+*)
+import lists 
+let val ls = [ "hello", fn x => x + 1, 2, () , {x = 2}]
+in map getType ls 
+end 
+