diff --git a/src/builtins/mod.rs b/src/builtins/mod.rs
index c5abd79..375905d 100644
--- a/src/builtins/mod.rs
+++ b/src/builtins/mod.rs
@@ -1,18 +1,26 @@
 use crate::namespace::{typedef::TypeDef, GlobalNamespace};
 
+pub const TYPE_INTEGER: &str = "int";
+pub const TYPE_FLOAT: &str = "float";
+pub const TYPE_STRING: &str = "string";
+
+pub const TRAIT_NUMERIC: &str = "Num";
+
+pub const CMD_ADD: &str = "add";
+
 pub fn initialise_globals() -> GlobalNamespace {
     let ns = GlobalNamespace::init();
 
-    let numeric = ns.register_trait("Numeric").unwrap();
+    let numeric = ns.register_trait(TRAIT_NUMERIC).unwrap();
 
-    ns.register_type("integer").unwrap().add_trait(&numeric);
-    ns.register_type("float").unwrap().add_trait(&numeric);
+    ns.register_type(TYPE_INTEGER).unwrap().add_trait(&numeric);
+    ns.register_type(TYPE_FLOAT).unwrap().add_trait(&numeric);
 
-    ns.register_type("string").unwrap();
+    ns.register_type(TYPE_STRING).unwrap();
 
     // def math add [ Numeric Numeric ] -> Numeric
     ns.register_command(
-        "add",
+        CMD_ADD,
         Some(TypeDef::List(vec![
             TypeDef::Trait(numeric),
             TypeDef::Trait(numeric),
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 744fe30..d87a338 100644
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -9,11 +9,14 @@ use codespan_reporting::{
 };
 use syntax::{check::check, error::SyntaxError, parse_syntax};
 
+use crate::{builtins::initialise_globals, typed::into_typed_repr};
+
 mod args;
 mod builtins;
 mod lexer;
 mod namespace;
 mod syntax;
+mod typed;
 
 fn main() {
     let args = Args::parse();
@@ -42,7 +45,7 @@ fn main() {
         )
         .unwrap();
     } else {
-        let check_res = check(&syntax.unwrap());
+        let check_res = check(&syntax.clone().unwrap());
 
         if let Err(errs) = check_res {
             let writer = &mut writer.lock();
@@ -52,6 +55,10 @@ fn main() {
             for diag in diags {
                 term::emit(writer, &config, &files, &diag).unwrap();
             }
+        } else {
+            let ns = initialise_globals();
+
+            println!("typed: {:#?}", into_typed_repr(&ns, syntax.unwrap()));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/typed.rs b/src/typed.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..26823e9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/typed.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,108 @@
+use core::panic;
+
+use crate::{
+    builtins::{TYPE_FLOAT, TYPE_INTEGER, TYPE_STRING},
+    namespace::{command::Command, r#type::Type, GlobalNamespace},
+    syntax::{CommandPart, CommandPartKind, PipelineElement, PipelineElementKind},
+};
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub struct Expr<'a> {
+    kind: ExprKind<'a>,
+    span: logos::Span,
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum ExprKind<'a> {
+    Command {
+        command: Command<'a>,
+        args: Vec<Expr<'a>>,
+    },
+    Literal(LiteralKind),
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug)]
+pub enum LiteralKind {
+    Int(i64),
+    Float(f64),
+    String(String),
+}
+
+impl LiteralKind {
+    pub fn get_type<'a>(&self, ns: &'a GlobalNamespace) -> Type<'a> {
+        match self {
+            LiteralKind::Int(_) => ns.get_type_by_name(TYPE_INTEGER).unwrap(),
+            LiteralKind::Float(_) => ns.get_type_by_name(TYPE_FLOAT).unwrap(),
+            LiteralKind::String(_) => ns.get_type_by_name(TYPE_STRING).unwrap(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+pub fn into_typed_repr(ns: &GlobalNamespace, syntax: Vec<PipelineElement>) -> Vec<Expr> {
+    let mut res = Vec::new();
+
+    for item in syntax {
+        let PipelineElement { kind, span } = item;
+        match kind {
+            PipelineElementKind::Command(c) => {
+                if c.len() == 1 {
+                    let CommandPart { kind, span: _ } = &c[0];
+
+                    res.push(Expr {
+                        kind: match kind {
+                            CommandPartKind::Word(val) => ExprKind::Command {
+                                command: ns.get_command_by_name(val).unwrap(),
+                                args: Vec::new(),
+                            },
+                            CommandPartKind::Integer(val) => {
+                                ExprKind::Literal(LiteralKind::Int(*val))
+                            }
+                            CommandPartKind::Float(val) => {
+                                ExprKind::Literal(LiteralKind::Float(*val))
+                            }
+                            CommandPartKind::String(val) => {
+                                ExprKind::Literal(LiteralKind::String(val.clone()))
+                            }
+                        },
+                        span,
+                    })
+                } else {
+                    let Some(CommandPart {
+                        kind: CommandPartKind::Word(name),
+                        span,
+                    }) = c.first()
+                    else {
+                        panic!("tried conversion to typed representation with invalid syntax")
+                    };
+
+                    res.push(Expr {
+                        kind: ExprKind::Command {
+                            command: ns.get_command_by_name(name).unwrap(),
+                            args: c
+                                .iter()
+                                .skip(1)
+                                .map(|CommandPart { kind, span }| Expr {
+                                    kind: ExprKind::Literal(match kind {
+                                        CommandPartKind::Word(val) => {
+                                            LiteralKind::String(val.to_string())
+                                        }
+                                        CommandPartKind::Integer(val) => LiteralKind::Int(*val),
+                                        CommandPartKind::Float(val) => LiteralKind::Float(*val),
+                                        CommandPartKind::String(val) => {
+                                            LiteralKind::String(val.to_string())
+                                        }
+                                    }),
+                                    span: span.clone(),
+                                })
+                                .collect(),
+                        },
+                        span: span.clone(),
+                    })
+                }
+            }
+            PipelineElementKind::Pipe => {}
+        }
+    }
+
+    res
+}