diff --git a/vlib/time/format.v b/vlib/time/format.v
index baa141a688..93d3fc2e6c 100644
--- a/vlib/time/format.v
+++ b/vlib/time/format.v
@@ -87,48 +87,53 @@ const tokens_4 = ['MMMM', 'DDDD', 'DDDo', 'dddd', 'YYYY']
 // custom_format returns a date with custom format
 //
 // |  | Token  | Output |
-// | :-----------  | -------: | :--------- |
-// | Month   | M | 1 2 ... 11 12 |
+// | ----------:  | :------ | :--------- |
+// | **Month**   | M | 1 2 ... 11 12 |
 // |  | Mo | 1st 2nd ... 11th 12th |
 // |  | MM | 01 02 ... 11 12 |
 // |  | MMM | 	Jan Feb ... Nov Dec |
 // |  | MMMM | January February ... November December |
-// | Quarter  | Q | 1 2 3 4 |
+// | **Quarter**  | Q | 1 2 3 4 |
 // |  | QQ | 01 02 03 04 |
 // |  | Qo | 1st 2nd 3rd 4th |
-// | Day of Month  | D | 1 2 ... 30 31 |
+// | **Day of Month**  | D | 1 2 ... 30 31 |
 // |  | Do | 1st 2nd ... 30th 31st |
 // |  | DD | 01 02 ... 30 31 |
-// | Day of Year  | DDD | 1 2 ... 364 365 |
+// | **Day of Year**  | DDD | 1 2 ... 364 365 |
 // |  | DDDo | 1st 2nd ... 364th 365th |
 // |  | DDDD | 001 002 ... 364 365 |
-// | Day of Week  | d | 0 1 ... 5 6 (Sun-Sat) |
+// | **Day of Week**  | d | 0 1 ... 5 6 (Sun-Sat) |
 // |  | c | 1 2 ... 6 7 (Mon-Sun) |
 // |  | dd | Su Mo ... Fr Sa |
 // |  | ddd | Sun Mon ... Fri Sat |
 // |  | dddd | Sunday Monday ... Friday Saturday |
-// | Week of Year  | w | 1 2 ... 52 53 |
+// | **Week of Year**  | w | 1 2 ... 52 53 |
 // |  | wo | 1st 2nd ... 52nd 53rd |
 // |  | ww | 01 02 ... 52 53 |
-// | Year  | YY | 70 71 ... 29 30 |
+// | **Year**  | YY | 70 71 ... 29 30 |
 // |  | YYYY | 1970 1971 ... 2029 2030 |
-// | Era  | N | BC AD |
+// | **Era**  | N | BC AD |
 // |  | NN | Before Christ, Anno Domini |
-// | AM/PM  | A | AM PM |
+// | **AM/PM**  | A | AM PM |
 // |  | a | am pm |
-// | Hour  | H | 0 1 ... 22 23 |
+// | **Hour**  | H | 0 1 ... 22 23 |
 // |  | HH | 00 01 ... 22 23 |
 // |  | h | 1 2 ... 11 12 |
 // |  | hh | 01 02 ... 11 12 |
 // |  | k | 1 2 ... 23 24 |
 // |  | kk | 01 02 ... 23 24 |
-// | Minute  | m | 0 1 ... 58 59 |
+// | **Minute**  | m | 0 1 ... 58 59 |
 // |  | mm | 00 01 ... 58 59 |
-// | Second  | s | 0 1 ... 58 59 |
+// | **Second**  | s | 0 1 ... 58 59 |
 // |  | ss | 00 01 ... 58 59 |
-// | Offset  | Z | -7 -6 ... +5 +6 |
+// | **Offset**  | Z | -7 -6 ... +5 +6 |
 // |  | ZZ | -0700 -0600 ... +0500 +0600 |
 // |  | ZZZ | -07:00 -06:00 ... +05:00 +06:00 |
+//
+// Usage:
+// ```v
+// println(time.now().custom_format('MMMM Mo YY N kk:mm:ss A')) // output like: January 1st 22 AD 13:45:33 PM
+// ```
 pub fn (t Time) custom_format(s string) string {
 	mut tokens := []string{}
 	for i := 0; i < s.len; {
diff --git a/vlib/time/relative_test.v b/vlib/time/relative_test.v
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8e330619e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vlib/time/relative_test.v
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+import time
+
+fn test_relative() {
+	// past
+	mut date := time.now()
+	assert date.relative() == 'now'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-61)
+	assert date.relative() == '1 minute ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '1m ago'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-120)
+	assert date.relative() == '3 minutes ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '3m ago'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-1 * time.seconds_per_hour)
+	assert date.relative() == '1 hour ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '1h ago'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-5 * time.seconds_per_hour)
+	assert date.relative() == '6 hours ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '6h ago'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-1 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == '1 day ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '1d ago'
+	date = date.add_seconds(-4 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == '5 days ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '5d ago'
+	date = time.now().add_seconds(-75 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == 'last ${date.custom_format('MMM')} ${date.custom_format('D')}'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '75d ago'
+	date = time.now().add_seconds(-400 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == '1 year ago'
+	assert date.relative_short() == '1y ago'
+
+	// future
+	date = time.now()
+	date = date.add_seconds(61)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 1 minute'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 1m'
+	date = date.add_seconds(120)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 3 minutes'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 3m'
+	date = date.add_seconds(1 * time.seconds_per_hour)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 1 hour'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 1h'
+	date = date.add_seconds(5 * time.seconds_per_hour)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 6 hours'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 6h'
+	date = date.add_seconds(time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 1 day'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 1d'
+	date = date.add_seconds(4 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 5 days'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 5d'
+	date = time.now().add_seconds(75 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == 'on ${date.custom_format('MMM')} ${date.custom_format('D')}'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 75d'
+	date = time.now().add_seconds(400 * time.seconds_per_day)
+	assert date.relative() == 'in 1 year'
+	assert date.relative_short() == 'in 1y'
+}
diff --git a/vlib/time/time.v b/vlib/time/time.v
index 072c866b35..020cbaaa65 100644
--- a/vlib/time/time.v
+++ b/vlib/time/time.v
@@ -131,48 +131,70 @@ pub fn since(t Time) Duration {
 
 // relative returns a string representation of the difference between t
 // and the current time.
+//
+// Sample outputs:
+// ```
+// // future
+// now
+// in 5 minutes
+// in 1 day
+// on Feb 17
+// // past
+// 2 hours ago
+// last Jan 15
+// 5 years ago
+// ```
 pub fn (t Time) relative() string {
 	znow := now()
-	secs := znow.unix - t.unix
-	if secs <= 30 {
-		// right now or in the future
-		// TODO handle time in the future
+	mut secs := znow.unix - t.unix
+	mut prefix := ''
+	mut suffix := ''
+	if secs < 0 {
+		secs *= -1
+		prefix = 'in '
+	} else {
+		suffix = ' ago'
+	}
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_minute / 2 {
 		return 'now'
 	}
-	if secs < 60 {
-		return '1m'
-	}
-	if secs < 3600 {
-		m := secs / 60
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour {
+		m := secs / time.seconds_per_minute
 		if m == 1 {
-			return '1 minute ago'
+			return '${prefix}1 minute$suffix'
 		}
-		return '$m minutes ago'
+		return '$prefix$m minutes$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs < 3600 * 24 {
-		h := secs / 3600
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour * 24 {
+		h := secs / time.seconds_per_hour
 		if h == 1 {
-			return '1 hour ago'
+			return '${prefix}1 hour$suffix'
 		}
-		return '$h hours ago'
+		return '$prefix$h hours$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs < 3600 * 24 * 5 {
-		d := secs / 3600 / 24
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour * 24 * 7 {
+		d := secs / time.seconds_per_hour / 24
 		if d == 1 {
-			return '1 day ago'
+			return '${prefix}1 day$suffix'
 		}
-		return '$d days ago'
+		return '$prefix$d days$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs > 3600 * 24 * 10000 {
-		return ''
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour * 24 * 365 {
+		if prefix == 'in ' {
+			return 'on $t.md()'
+		}
+		return 'last $t.md()'
 	}
-	return t.md()
+	y := secs / time.seconds_per_hour / 24 / 365
+	if y == 1 {
+		return '${prefix}1 year$suffix'
+	}
+	return '$prefix$y years$suffix'
 }
 
 // relative_short returns a string saying how long ago a time occured as follows:
 // 0-30 seconds: `"now"`; 30-60 seconds: `"1m"`; anything else is rounded to the
-// nearest minute, hour or day; anything higher than 10000 days (about 27 years)
-// years returns an empty string.
+// nearest minute, hour, day, or year
 // Some Examples:
 // `0s -> 'now'`;
 // `20s -> 'now'`;
@@ -184,28 +206,44 @@ pub fn (t Time) relative() string {
 // `15842354871s -> ''`
 pub fn (t Time) relative_short() string {
 	znow := now()
-	secs := znow.unix - t.unix
-	if secs <= 30 {
-		// right now or in the future
-		// TODO handle time in the future
+	mut secs := znow.unix - t.unix
+	mut prefix := ''
+	mut suffix := ''
+	if secs < 0 {
+		secs *= -1
+		prefix = 'in '
+	} else {
+		suffix = ' ago'
+	}
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_minute / 2 {
 		return 'now'
 	}
-	if secs < 60 {
-		return '1m'
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour {
+		m := secs / time.seconds_per_minute
+		if m == 1 {
+			return '${prefix}1m$suffix'
+		}
+		return '$prefix${m}m$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs < 3600 {
-		return '${secs / 60}m'
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour * 24 {
+		h := secs / time.seconds_per_hour
+		if h == 1 {
+			return '${prefix}1h$suffix'
+		}
+		return '$prefix${h}h$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs < 3600 * 24 {
-		return '${secs / 3600}h'
+	if secs < time.seconds_per_hour * 24 * 365 {
+		d := secs / time.seconds_per_hour / 24
+		if d == 1 {
+			return '${prefix}1d$suffix'
+		}
+		return '$prefix${d}d$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs < 3600 * 24 * 5 {
-		return '${secs / 3600 / 24}d'
+	y := secs / time.seconds_per_hour / 24 / 365
+	if y == 1 {
+		return '${prefix}1y$suffix'
 	}
-	if secs > 3600 * 24 * 10000 {
-		return ''
-	}
-	return t.md()
+	return '$prefix${y}y$suffix'
 }
 
 // day_of_week returns the current day of a given year, month, and day,