diff --git a/crates/core/src/tooltip.rs b/crates/core/src/tooltip.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..321081f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/core/src/tooltip.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,49 @@
+use gpui::AppContext as _;
+use gpui::{
+    AnyView, App, Context, Entity, IntoElement, ParentElement as _, Render, SharedString,
+    Styled as _, Window, div, px,
+};
+use gpui_native_theme::ActiveTheme as _;
+
+/// A small text panel gpui shows next to a hovered element.
+pub struct Tooltip {
+    text: SharedString,
+}
+
+impl Tooltip {
+    /// Creates the tooltip view.
+    pub fn new<L>(text: L, cx: &mut App) -> Entity<Self>
+    where
+        L: Into<SharedString>,
+    {
+        cx.new(|_| Self { text: text.into() })
+    }
+
+    /// The `.tooltip(...)` closure for a plain text tooltip.
+    pub fn text<L>(text: L) -> impl Fn(&mut Window, &mut App) -> AnyView + 'static
+    where
+        L: Into<SharedString>,
+    {
+        let text = text.into();
+        move |_, cx| Tooltip::new(text.clone(), cx).into()
+    }
+}
+
+impl Render for Tooltip {
+    fn render(&mut self, _window: &mut Window, cx: &mut Context<Self>) -> impl IntoElement {
+        let theme = cx.theme();
+        let text_size = theme.sizes.small.text_size;
+
+        div()
+            .px_2()
+            .py_1()
+            .max_w(px(360.))
+            .bg(theme.colors.surface)
+            .border_1()
+            .border_color(theme.colors.border)
+            .rounded(theme.radius.sm)
+            .text_size(text_size)
+            .text_color(theme.colors.surface_foreground)
+            .child(self.text.clone())
+    }
+}
diff --git a/crates/core/tests/tooltip.rs b/crates/core/tests/tooltip.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..036647b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/crates/core/tests/tooltip.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::rc::Rc;
+
+use gpui::{
+    Context, InteractiveElement as _, IntoElement, Modifiers, MouseMoveEvent, ParentElement as _,
+    Render, StatefulInteractiveElement as _, Styled as _, TestAppContext, VisualTestContext,
+    Window, div, point, px,
+};
+use gpui_native_core::button::Button;
+use gpui_native_core::tooltip::Tooltip;
+use gpui_native_theme::Theme;
+
+/// Hover target at the top-left with a tooltip whose builder records every
+/// invocation.
+struct Harness {
+    calls: Rc<RefCell<Vec<&'static str>>>,
+}
+
+impl Render for Harness {
+    fn render(&mut self, _window: &mut Window, _cx: &mut Context<Self>) -> impl IntoElement {
+        let calls = self.calls.clone();
+        let target = div()
+            .id("hover-target")
+            .w(px(100.))
+            .h(px(40.))
+            .bg(gpui::black())
+            .tooltip(move |_, cx| {
+                calls.borrow_mut().push("target");
+                Tooltip::new("Target tooltip", cx).into()
+            });
+
+        let button_calls = self.calls.clone();
+        let button = Button::new("hover-button")
+            .label("Hover me")
+            .tooltip(move |_, cx| {
+                button_calls.borrow_mut().push("button");
+                Tooltip::new("Button tooltip", cx).into()
+            });
+
+        div()
+            .size_full()
+            .child(target)
+            .child(div().mt_12().child(button))
+    }
+}
+
+fn tooltip_window() -> (
+    TestAppContext,
+    VisualTestContext,
+    Rc<RefCell<Vec<&'static str>>>,
+) {
+    let mut cx = TestAppContext::single();
+    cx.update(Theme::init);
+    let calls = Rc::new(RefCell::new(Vec::new()));
+    let harness_calls = calls.clone();
+    let window = cx.add_window(move |_, _| Harness {
+        calls: harness_calls,
+    });
+    let mut visual = VisualTestContext::from_window(window.into(), &cx);
+    visual.update(|window, cx| {
+        window.draw(cx).clear(cx);
+    });
+    (cx, visual, calls)
+}
+
+fn hover(visual: &mut VisualTestContext, position: gpui::Point<gpui::Pixels>) {
+    visual.simulate_event(MouseMoveEvent {
+        position,
+        pressed_button: None,
+        modifiers: Modifiers::default(),
+    });
+}
+
+/// gpui's hover delay before deploying a tooltip.
+const SHOW_DELAY: std::time::Duration = std::time::Duration::from_millis(500);
+
+fn draw(visual: &mut VisualTestContext) {
+    visual.update(|window, cx| {
+        window.draw(cx).clear(cx);
+    });
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn hovering_the_target_deploys_the_tooltip_after_the_delay() {
+    let (cx, mut visual, calls) = tooltip_window();
+    hover(&mut visual, point(px(50.), px(20.)));
+    assert!(
+        calls.borrow().is_empty(),
+        "builder runs only after the delay"
+    );
+    assert!(
+        calls.borrow().is_empty(),
+        "builder runs only after the delay"
+    );
+
+    cx.executor().advance_clock(SHOW_DELAY);
+    visual.run_until_parked();
+    draw(&mut visual);
+    assert_eq!(*calls.borrow(), vec!["target"]);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn hovering_elsewhere_deploys_nothing() {
+    let (cx, mut visual, calls) = tooltip_window();
+    hover(&mut visual, point(px(800.), px(600.)));
+    cx.executor().advance_clock(SHOW_DELAY);
+    visual.run_until_parked();
+    draw(&mut visual);
+    assert!(calls.borrow().is_empty());
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn the_button_passthrough_deploys_the_tooltip() {
+    let (cx, mut visual, calls) = tooltip_window();
+    hover(&mut visual, point(px(50.), px(100.)));
+    cx.executor().advance_clock(SHOW_DELAY);
+    visual.run_until_parked();
+    draw(&mut visual);
+    assert_eq!(*calls.borrow(), vec!["button"]);
+}