diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1f5f1a2..cf4a894 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -44,9 +44,90 @@ This produces the following syntax tree
 
 ## current features
 
-Currently the grammar recognizes all the basic Lux literals bit, natural, integer, revolution, fraction, identifier, tag, text, form, tuple, record and comment.
+Currently the grammar recognizes all the basic Lux literals comment, bit, natural, integer, revolution, fraction, text, identifier, tag, form, tuple and record.
 
 ## planned features
 
 Recognizing definitions, anonymous functions and modules
 
+## api
+The node types in the abstract syntax tree generated by tree-sitter correspond to Lux syntax tokens.
+Additional meaning that is derived from those syntax tokens, e.g. that`(def: x Int +1)` is a definition,
+might be encoded using fields on the node.
+
+The top level node type is always `lux`.
+Children of the `lux` node are of one of the following types:
+
+### `comment`
+Recognizes comments, e.g. `## this is a comment`.
+
+### `bit`
+Recognizes bits, e.g. `#0` and `#1`.
+
+### `natural`
+Recognizes naturals, e.g. `123`.
+
+### `integer`
+Recognizes integers, e.g. `+123` and `-456`.
+
+### `revolution`
+Recognizes revolutions, e.g. `.123`.
+
+### `fraction`
+Recognizes fractions, e.g. `+123.456`.
+
+### `text`
+Recognizes text, e.g. `"text"`.
+
+### `identifier`
+Recognizes identifiers, e.g. `identifier`, `prefix.identifier`, or `..identifier`.
+
+### `tag`
+Recognizes tags, e.g. `#tag`.
+
+### `form`
+Recognizes forms, e.g. `(+ 1 2)`.
+This example produces the following syntax tree:
+
+    (lux
+      (form
+        (identifier)
+        (natural)
+        (natural)))
+
+Children of form nodes can be of any of the top level types.
+
+### `tuple`
+Recognizes tuples, e.g. `[a +2 "c"]`.
+This example produces the following syntax tree:
+
+    (lux
+      (tuple
+        (identifier)
+        (integer)
+        (text)))
+
+Children of form nodes can be of any of the top level types.
+
+### `record`
+Recognizes records, e.g. `{#a b "c" 4}`.
+This example produces the following syntax tree:
+
+    (lux
+      (record
+        (pair (tag) (identifier))
+        (pair (text) (natural))))
+
+Children of record nodes can be of type `comment` or `pair`.
+
+#### `pair`
+Recognizes pairs of syntax tokens, but only inside records, e.g. `#a b` inside `{#a b}`.
+Children of pair nodes can be of any of the top level types.
+
+> Don't assume that there are exactly two children inside a pair.
+> There might be a comment between the key and value.
+> However, you can assume that there are always exactly two non-comment nodes inside a pair.
+> Otherwise there would be an error.
+
+### `ERROR` or `MISSING`
+Anything that is not recognized as valid Lux syntax will be encoded by a node of type `ERROR` or `MISSING`.