diff --git a/library/init/lean/parser/parser.lean b/library/init/lean/parser/parser.lean
index 80a30d1459..182eab775f 100644
--- a/library/init/lean/parser/parser.lean
+++ b/library/init/lean/parser/parser.lean
@@ -558,6 +558,23 @@ let trailing  := { Substring . str := input, startPos := stopPos, stopPos := wsS
 let info      := { SourceInfo . leading := leading, pos := startPos, trailing := trailing };
 s.pushSyntax (mkLit n val (some info))
 
+def charLitFnAux (startPos : Nat) : BasicParserFn
+| c s :=
+  let input := c.input;
+  let i     := s.pos;
+  if input.atEnd i then s.mkEOIError
+  else
+    let curr := input.get i;
+    let s    := s.setPos (input.next i);
+    let s    := if curr == '\\' then quotedCharFn c s else s;
+    if s.hasError then s
+    else
+      let i    := s.pos;
+      let curr := input.get i;
+      let s    := s.setPos (input.next i);
+      if curr == '\'' then mkNodeToken charLitKind startPos c s
+      else s.mkError "expected end of character literal"
+
 partial def strLitFnAux (startPos : Nat) : BasicParserFn
 | c s :=
   let input := c.input;
@@ -720,6 +737,8 @@ private def tokenFnAux : BasicParserFn
   let curr  := input.get i;
   if curr == '\"' then
     strLitFnAux i c (s.next input i)
+  else if curr == '\'' then
+    charLitFnAux i c (s.next input i)
   else if curr.isDigit then
     numberFnAux c s
   else
@@ -956,6 +975,16 @@ fun _ c s =>
 { fn   := strLitFn,
   info := mkAtomicInfo "strLit" }
 
+def charLitFn {k : ParserKind} : ParserFn k :=
+fun _ c s =>
+  let iniPos := s.pos;
+  let s := tokenFn c s;
+  if s.hasError || !(s.stxStack.back.isOfKind charLitKind) then s.mkErrorAt "expected character literal" iniPos else s
+
+@[inline] def charLit {k : ParserKind} : Parser k :=
+{ fn   := charLitFn,
+  info := mkAtomicInfo "charLit" }
+
 def identFn {k : ParserKind} : ParserFn k :=
 fun _ c s =>
   let iniPos := s.pos;
@@ -1155,7 +1184,7 @@ match stx with
   | _            => (s, 0)
 | some (Syntax.ident _ _ _ _) => (s, appPrec)
 -- TODO(Leo): add support for associating lbp with syntax node kinds.
-| some (Syntax.node k _)      => if k == numLitKind || k == strLitKind || k == fieldIdxKind then (s, appPrec) else (s, 0)
+| some (Syntax.node k _)      => if k == numLitKind || k == charLitKind || k == strLitKind || k == fieldIdxKind then (s, appPrec) else (s, 0)
 | _                           => (s, 0)
 
 def indexed {α : Type} (map : TokenMap α) (c : ParserContext) (s : ParserState) : ParserState × List α :=
diff --git a/library/init/lean/parser/term.lean b/library/init/lean/parser/term.lean
index ce9aa5efad..f74b65279a 100644
--- a/library/init/lean/parser/term.lean
+++ b/library/init/lean/parser/term.lean
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ pushLeading >> symbol sym lbp >> termParser lbp
 @[builtinTermParser] def id := parser! ident >> optional (".{" >> sepBy1 levelParser ", " >> "}")
 @[builtinTermParser] def num : Parser := numLit
 @[builtinTermParser] def str : Parser := strLit
+@[builtinTermParser] def char : Parser := charLit
 @[builtinTermParser] def type := parser! symbol "Type" appPrec
 @[builtinTermParser] def sort := parser! symbol "Sort" appPrec
 @[builtinTermParser] def prop := parser! symbol "Prop" appPrec
diff --git a/library/init/lean/syntax.lean b/library/init/lean/syntax.lean
index 69dbbac778..314f43ad07 100644
--- a/library/init/lean/syntax.lean
+++ b/library/init/lean/syntax.lean
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ abbrev SyntaxNodeKind := Name
 @[matchPattern] def choiceKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `choice
 @[matchPattern] def nullKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `null
 def strLitKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `strLit
+def charLitKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `charLit
 def numLitKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `numLit
 def fieldIdxKind : SyntaxNodeKind := `fieldIdx
 
diff --git a/tests/playground/termparsertest1.lean b/tests/playground/termparsertest1.lean
index a43d63413e..5e189dfaf2 100644
--- a/tests/playground/termparsertest1.lean
+++ b/tests/playground/termparsertest1.lean
@@ -117,7 +117,9 @@ do
 "let f : Nat → Nat → Nat
    | 0 a     := a + 10
    | (n+1) b := n * b;
-f 20"
+f 20",
+"'a'",
+"f 'a' 'b'"
 ];
 testFailures [
 "f {x : a} -> b",