diff --git a/TODO.md b/TODO.md
index 469f781..55fae48 100644
--- a/TODO.md
+++ b/TODO.md
@@ -402,7 +402,48 @@
     loop) whose concrete yield references a local declared *past* the first yield (annotate);
     same-label loop/block shadowing resolves innermost-wins
 
-21. unions and tagged unions
+21. unions and tagged unions (implemented; first pass — native untagged unions only; see below)
+  - inspired by zig
+  - ```
+    # unions (untagged; named fields like a struct — Zig union members are always named)
+    SomeStuff :: union {
+        f float
+        i int
+        a Animal
+    }
+
+    # tagged unions (constrained to the backing enum) — DEFERRED to 21.5
+    AnimalNameOrHeight :: union(Animal) {  # use just `enum` instead of `Animal` for unconstrained tagged union
+        dog []u8
+        cat []u8
+        bird int
+        lizard int
+    }
+    ```
+  - this first pass ships **native untagged unions with named fields**. an untagged union is a
+    carrier sized to its largest/most-aligned member with no runtime tag (a C union); reading a
+    non-active field reinterprets the bytes (unsafe, like a Zig `union {}` in ReleaseFast) and an
+    untagged union is not matchable. the TODO's original bare type-only spelling
+    (`union { float, int, Animal }`) was dropped in favor of named fields to match Zig and to
+    reuse the existing field-access path
+  - the entire untagged-union backend already existed from the C-interop work (milestone 4): the
+    `.Union` type kind, carrier-based LLVM layout (`emit_types`), `size`/`alignment`, keyed-literal
+    construction `Val{ field = value }` (exactly one initializer; the active-field index rides in
+    `hir.Expr.integer`), and field access (GEP-at-offset-0 reinterpret). none of these are gated on
+    `c_layout`, so a *native* union flows through them unchanged. record-declaration validation
+    (`is_runtime_value` per field) already covers native unions too
+  - the change is front-end only: a new `union` keyword (token/lexer), and `parse_union` is just
+    `parse_struct` parametrized with `is_union=true` routing through `types.define_record`
+    (native-only, so `c_layout=false` and the no-body case errors). no `types`/`checker`/`hir`/
+    `lower`/`llvm` change (mirrors the minimal-footprint slices of 18/19/20)
+  - deferred to **21.5**: tagged unions (`union(Enum)` constrained + `union(enum)` inferred) with a
+    runtime `{tag, payload}` layout, tag init at construction, and tag extraction — the real codegen
+    work and the foundation for milestone 22 (`match` with payload unwrapping)
+
+21.5. tagged unions with a runtime tag (DEFERRED)
+  - `union(Enum)` (variant names constrained to the backing enum's members) and `union(enum)`
+    (auto-generated tag, one member per variant); both store an enum tag beside the payload
+    (`{tag, payload}`), switchable in milestone 22
 
 22. match statements with tagged unions payload unwrapping
 
diff --git a/compiler/lexer/lexer.odin b/compiler/lexer/lexer.odin
index 8d99479..4594236 100644
--- a/compiler/lexer/lexer.odin
+++ b/compiler/lexer/lexer.odin
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ keyword_kind :: proc(text: string) -> token.Kind {
 	case "c_func":        return .Keyword_C_Func
 	case "struct":        return .Keyword_Struct
 	case "c_struct":      return .Keyword_C_Struct
+	case "union":         return .Keyword_Union
 	case "enum":          return .Keyword_Enum
 	case "distinct":      return .Keyword_Distinct
 	case "alias":         return .Keyword_Alias
diff --git a/compiler/parser/parser.odin b/compiler/parser/parser.odin
index ffcf4a5..5c9dcf2 100644
--- a/compiler/parser/parser.odin
+++ b/compiler/parser/parser.odin
@@ -1727,16 +1727,19 @@ parse_function :: proc(parser: ^Parser, name: token.Token, c_abi: bool) {
 	})
 }
 
-parse_struct :: proc(parser: ^Parser, name: token.Token, c_layout: bool) {
+parse_struct :: proc(parser: ^Parser, name: token.Token, c_layout: bool, is_union := false) {
 	start := advance(parser)
 	id := types.named(&parser.module.type_store, u32(parser.pkg), u32(name.symbol))
 	ended_by_newline := current(parser).kind == .Newline
 	skip_newlines(parser)
 	if current(parser).kind != .Left_Brace {
 		if !c_layout {
-			source.add(parser.diagnostics, start.span, "native struct declarations require a body")
+			source.add(
+				parser.diagnostics, start.span,
+				"native union declarations require a body" if is_union else "native struct declarations require a body",
+			)
 		}
-		if !types.define_struct(&parser.module.type_store, id, nil, c_layout, true) {
+		if !types.define_record(&parser.module.type_store, id, nil, c_layout, true, is_union) {
 			source.addf(parser.diagnostics, name.span, "duplicate type declaration '%s'", token_text(parser, name))
 		}
 		if !ended_by_newline {
@@ -1772,7 +1775,7 @@ parse_struct :: proc(parser: ^Parser, name: token.Token, c_layout: bool) {
 	if _, ok := allow(parser, .Right_Brace); !ok {
 		source.add(parser.diagnostics, current(parser).span, "expected '}' after struct fields")
 	}
-	if !types.define_struct(&parser.module.type_store, id, fields[:], c_layout, false) {
+	if !types.define_record(&parser.module.type_store, id, fields[:], c_layout, false, is_union) {
 		source.addf(parser.diagnostics, name.span, "duplicate type declaration '%s'", token_text(parser, name))
 	}
 	_ = finish_statement(parser)
@@ -2054,6 +2057,10 @@ parse_top_level :: proc(parser: ^Parser) {
 		parse_struct(parser, name, current(parser).kind == .Keyword_C_Struct)
 		return
 	}
+	if operator.kind == .Colon_Colon && current(parser).kind == .Keyword_Union {
+		parse_struct(parser, name, false, is_union=true)
+		return
+	}
 	if operator.kind == .Colon_Colon && current(parser).kind == .Keyword_Enum {
 		parse_enum(parser, name)
 		return
diff --git a/compiler/token/token.odin b/compiler/token/token.odin
index 7d30e08..58ba846 100644
--- a/compiler/token/token.odin
+++ b/compiler/token/token.odin
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ Kind :: enum u8 {
 	Keyword_C_Func,
 	Keyword_Struct,
 	Keyword_C_Struct,
+	Keyword_Union,
 	Keyword_Enum,
 	Keyword_Distinct,
 	Keyword_Alias,
diff --git a/compiler_tests.odin b/compiler_tests.odin
index 56a6f6a..bd81cfd 100644
--- a/compiler_tests.odin
+++ b/compiler_tests.odin
@@ -2139,6 +2139,19 @@ yield_compiles_and_runs :: proc(t: ^testing.T) {
 	testing.expect_value(t, state.exit_code, 42)
 }
 
+@(test)
+native_union_compiles_and_runs :: proc(t: ^testing.T) {
+	output := "/tmp/brolang-test-unions"
+	defer _ = os.remove(output)
+	status := compiler_core.compile_package("examples/programs/unions", output)
+	testing.expect_value(t, status, 0)
+	state := run_executable(output)
+	// A native untagged union (`Val :: union { n i32, f f64 }`) constructed via a keyed
+	// literal, stored into a local, and read back through field access reinterprets the
+	// carrier and yields 42 (declaration → construct → store → load → field read).
+	testing.expect_value(t, state.exit_code, 42)
+}
+
 @(test)
 yield_misuse_is_diagnosed :: proc(t: ^testing.T) {
 	// A value block that does not end in `yield`, and a `yield` nested inside an
diff --git a/examples/programs/unions/main.bro b/examples/programs/unions/main.bro
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1a41222
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/programs/unions/main.bro
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+Val :: union {
+	n i32
+	f f64
+}
+
+main :: func() i32 {
+	x Val = Val{ n = 42 }
+	return x.n
+}