diff --git a/lingua_franca/format.py b/lingua_franca/format.py
index a7137ebc..576ce34a 100755
--- a/lingua_franca/format.py
+++ b/lingua_franca/format.py
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@
     is_supported_full_lang, _raise_unsupported_language, \
     UnsupportedLanguageError, NoneLangWarning, InvalidLangWarning, \
     FunctionNotLocalizedError, resolve_resource_file, FunctionNotLocalizedError
+from lingua_franca.time import now_local, to_local
 
 
 _REGISTERED_FUNCTIONS = ("nice_number",
@@ -36,7 +37,8 @@
                          "pronounce_number",
                          "pronounce_lang",
                          "nice_response",
-                         "nice_duration")
+                         "nice_duration",
+                         "nice_relative_time")
 
 populate_localized_function_dict("format", langs=get_active_langs())
 
@@ -578,3 +580,53 @@ def nice_response(text, lang=''):
         assertEqual(nice_response_de("10 ^ 2"),
                          "10 hoch 2")
     """
+
+@localized_function(run_own_code_on=[FunctionNotLocalizedError])
+def nice_relative_time(when, relative_to=None, lang=None):
+    """Create a relative phrase to roughly describe the period between two
+    datetimes.
+
+    Examples are "25 seconds", "tomorrow", "7 days".
+
+    Note: The reported period is currently limited to a number of days. Longer
+          periods such as multiple weeks or months will be reported in days.
+
+    Args:
+        when (datetime): Local timezone
+        relative_to (datetime): Baseline for relative time, default is now()
+        lang (str, optional): Defaults to "en-us".
+    Returns:
+        str: Relative description of the given time
+    """
+    now = relative_to if relative_to else now_local()
+    delta = to_local(when) - now
+
+    if delta.total_seconds() < 1:
+        return "now"
+
+    if delta.total_seconds() < 90:
+        if delta.total_seconds() == 1:
+            return "one second"
+        else:
+            return f"{int(delta.total_seconds())} seconds"
+
+    minutes = int((delta.total_seconds() + 30) // 60)  # +30 to round minutes
+    if minutes < 90:
+        if minutes == 1:
+            return "one minute"
+        else:
+            return "{} minutes".format(minutes)
+
+    hours = int((minutes + 30) // 60)  # +30 to round hours
+    if hours < 36:
+        if hours == 1:
+            return "one hour"
+        else:
+            return "{} hours".format(hours)
+
+    # TODO: "2 weeks", "3 months", "4 years", etc
+    days = int((hours + 12) // 24)  # +12 to round days
+    if days == 1:
+        return "1 day"
+    else:
+        return "{} days".format(days)
diff --git a/lingua_franca/lang/format_eu.py b/lingua_franca/lang/format_eu.py
index c1ea0c31..50e715c9 100644
--- a/lingua_franca/lang/format_eu.py
+++ b/lingua_franca/lang/format_eu.py
@@ -327,11 +327,15 @@ def nice_time_eu(dt, speech=True, use_24hour=False, use_ampm=False):
     # hemen dago tranpa
     # return str(dt.hour) + ":" + str(dt.minute)
 
+
 def nice_relative_time_eu(when, relative_to=None, lang=None):
     """Create a relative phrase to roughly describe a datetime
 
     Examples are "25 seconds", "tomorrow", "7 days".
 
+    Note: The reported period is currently limited to a number of days. Longer
+          periods such as multiple weeks or months will be reported in days.
+
     Args:
         when (datetime): Local timezone
         relative_to (datetime): Baseline for relative time, default is now()
diff --git a/test/unittests/test_format_en.py b/test/unittests/test_format_en.py
index fae8ff6d..fd117734 100644
--- a/test/unittests/test_format_en.py
+++ b/test/unittests/test_format_en.py
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@
 from lingua_franca.format import date_time_format
 from lingua_franca.format import join_list
 from lingua_franca.format import pronounce_lang
+from lingua_franca.format import nice_relative_time
 from lingua_franca.time import default_timezone, set_default_tz, now_local, \
     to_local
 
@@ -534,6 +535,42 @@ def test_join(self):
         self.assertEqual(join_list([1, "b", 3, "d"], "or"), "1, b, 3 or d")
 
 
+class TestNiceRelativeTime(unittest.TestCase):
+    def test_format_nice_relative_time(self):
+        base_datetime = datetime.datetime(2017, 1, 31, 13, 22, 3,
+                            tzinfo=default_timezone())
+        two_hours_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(hours=2)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=two_hours_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "2 hours"
+        )
+        twoish_hours_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(hours=2, minutes=27)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=twoish_hours_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "2 hours"
+        )
+        seconds_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(seconds=47)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=seconds_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "47 seconds"
+        )
+        three_days_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(days=3)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=three_days_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "3 days"
+        )
+        almost_four_days_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(days=3, hours=20)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=almost_four_days_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "4 days"
+        )
+        long_time_from_base = base_datetime + datetime.timedelta(days=957, hours=2, seconds=12)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            nice_relative_time(when=long_time_from_base, relative_to=base_datetime),
+            "957 days"
+        )
+
+
 class TestLangcode(unittest.TestCase):
     def test_format_lang_code(self):
         self.assertEqual(pronounce_lang(lang_code="en"), "English")