diff --git a/src/xdate.js b/src/xdate.js
index 6ace61c..b5f5e70 100644
--- a/src/xdate.js
+++ b/src/xdate.js
@@ -175,42 +175,42 @@ each(methodSubjects, function(subject, fieldIndex) {
 	proto['get' + subject] = function() {
 		return _getField(this[0], getUTCMode(this), fieldIndex);
 	};
-	
+
 	if (fieldIndex != YEAR) { // because there is no getUTCYear
-	
+
 		proto['getUTC' + subject] = function() {
 			return _getField(this[0], true, fieldIndex);
 		};
-		
+
 	}
 
 	if (fieldIndex != DAY) { // because there is no setDay or setUTCDay
 	                         // and the add* and diff* methods use DATE instead
-		
+
 		proto['set' + subject] = function(value) {
 			_set(this, fieldIndex, value, arguments, getUTCMode(this));
 			return this; // for chaining
 		};
-		
+
 		if (fieldIndex != YEAR) { // because there is no setUTCYear
 		                          // and the add* and diff* methods use FULLYEAR instead
-			
+
 			proto['setUTC' + subject] = function(value) {
 				_set(this, fieldIndex, value, arguments, true);
 				return this; // for chaining
 			};
-			
+
 			proto['add' + (subjectPlurals[fieldIndex] || subject)] = function(delta, preventOverflow) {
 				_add(this, fieldIndex, delta, preventOverflow);
 				return this; // for chaining
 			};
-			
+
 			proto['diff' + (subjectPlurals[fieldIndex] || subject)] = function(otherDate) {
 				return _diff(this, otherDate, fieldIndex);
 			};
-			
+
 		}
-		
+
 	}
 
 });
@@ -440,6 +440,79 @@ proto.toISOString = function() {
 	return this.toUTCString(ISO_FORMAT_STRING_TZ);
 };
 
+proto.toRelativeString = function(unit) {
+  var relativeString = '';
+  var unitString = '';
+  var magnitude = 0;
+  var now = new XDate();
+  switch (unit) {
+    case 'y':
+      unitString = 'years';
+      magnitude = this.diffYears( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 'M':
+      unitString = 'months';
+      magnitude = this.diffMonths( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 'd':
+      unitString = 'days';
+      magnitude = this.diffDays( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 'h':
+      unitString = 'hours';
+      magnitude = this.diffHours( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 'm':
+      unitString = 'minutes';
+      magnitude = this.diffMinutes( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 's':
+      unitString = 'seconds';
+      magnitude = this.diffSeconds( now );
+    break;
+
+    case 'ms':
+      unitString = 'milliseconds';
+      magnitude = this.diffMilliseconds( now );
+    break;
+
+    // Use whichever unit yields the lowest magnitude greater than 1
+    default:
+      if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffYears( now )) > 1)             unitString = 'years';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffMonths( now )) > 1)       unitString = 'months';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffDays( now )) > 1)         unitString = 'days';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffHours( now )) > 1)        unitString = 'hours';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffMinutes( now )) > 1)      unitString = 'minutes';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffSeconds( now )) > 1)      unitString = 'seconds';
+      else if (Math.abs(magnitude = this.diffMilliseconds( now )) > 1) unitString = 'milliseconds';
+      else                                                             magnitude = 0;
+    break;
+  }
+
+  magnitude = parseInt( magnitude );
+
+  if (magnitude == 1 || magnitude == 0) {
+    unitString = unitString.slice(0, -1);
+  }
+
+  if (magnitude > 0) {
+    relativeString = magnitude + ' ' + unitString + ' ago';
+  }
+  else if (magnitude < 0) {
+    relativeString = 'in ' + Math.abs(magnitude) + ' ' + unitString;
+  }
+  else {
+    relativeString = 'within the past ' + unitString;
+  }
+
+  return relativeString;
+}
+
 
 XDate.defaultLocale = '';
 XDate.locales = {
@@ -463,13 +536,13 @@ function format(xdate, formatString, settings, uniqueness, useUTC) {
 	var locales = XDate.locales;
 	var defaultLocaleSettings = locales[XDate.defaultLocale] || {};
 	var getField = curry(_getField, xdate, useUTC);
-	
+
 	settings = (isString(settings) ? locales[settings] : settings) || {};
-	
+
 	function getSetting(name) {
 		return settings[name] || defaultLocaleSettings[name];
 	}
-	
+
 	function getFieldAndTrace(fieldIndex) {
 		if (uniqueness) {
 			var i = (fieldIndex == DAY ? DATE : fieldIndex) - 1;
@@ -479,7 +552,7 @@ function format(xdate, formatString, settings, uniqueness, useUTC) {
 		}
 		return getField(fieldIndex);
 	}
-	
+
 	return _format(xdate, formatString, getFieldAndTrace, getSetting, useUTC);
 }