diff --git a/src/directive.js b/src/directive.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5e9dbae49
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/directive.js
@@ -0,0 +1,68 @@
+/* @flow */
+
+import { warn, isPlainObject, looseEqual } from './util'
+
+export function bind (el: any, binding: Object, vnode: any): void {
+  t(el, binding, vnode)
+}
+
+export function update (el: any, binding: Object, vnode: any, oldVNode: any): void {
+  if (looseEqual(binding.value, binding.oldValue)) { return }
+
+  t(el, binding, vnode)
+}
+
+function t (el: any, binding: Object, vnode: any): void {
+  const value: any = binding.value
+
+  const { path, locale, args } = parseValue(value)
+  if (!path && !locale && !args) {
+    warn('not support value type')
+    return
+  }
+
+  const vm: any = vnode.context
+  if (!vm) {
+    warn('not exist Vue instance in VNode context')
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!vm.$i18n) {
+    warn('not exist VueI18n instance in Vue instance')
+    return
+  }
+
+  if (!path) {
+    warn('required `path` in v-t directive')
+    return
+  }
+
+  el._vt = el.textContent = vm.$i18n.t(path, ...makeParams(locale, args))
+}
+
+function parseValue (value: any): Object {
+  let path: ?string
+  let locale: ?Locale
+  let args: any
+
+  if (typeof value === 'string') {
+    path = value
+  } else if (isPlainObject(value)) {
+    path = value.path
+    locale = value.locale
+    args = value.args
+  }
+
+  return { path, locale, args }
+}
+
+function makeParams (locale: Locale, args: any): Array<any> {
+  const params: Array<any> = []
+
+  locale && params.push(locale)
+  if (args && (Array.isArray(args) || isPlainObject(args))) {
+    params.push(args)
+  }
+
+  return params
+}
diff --git a/src/install.js b/src/install.js
index 6707d2f5a..6ac4e473b 100644
--- a/src/install.js
+++ b/src/install.js
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { warn } from './util'
 import extend from './extend'
 import mixin from './mixin'
 import component from './component'
+import { bind, update } from './directive'
 
 export let Vue
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export function install (_Vue) {
 
   extend(Vue)
   Vue.mixin(mixin)
+  Vue.directive('t', { bind, update })
   Vue.component(component.name, component)
 
   // use object-based merge strategy
diff --git a/src/util.js b/src/util.js
index c0d59eb74..b661472a6 100644
--- a/src/util.js
+++ b/src/util.js
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ export function warn (msg: string, err: ?Error): void {
   }
 }
 
-export function isObject (obj: mixed): boolean {
+export function isObject (obj: mixed): boolean %checks {
   return obj !== null && typeof obj === 'object'
 }
 
@@ -114,6 +114,39 @@ export function merge (target: Object): Object {
   return output
 }
 
+export function looseEqual (a: any, b: any): boolean {
+  if (a === b) { return true }
+  const isObjectA: boolean = isObject(a)
+  const isObjectB: boolean = isObject(b)
+  if (isObjectA && isObjectB) {
+    try {
+      const isArrayA: boolean = Array.isArray(a)
+      const isArrayB: boolean = Array.isArray(b)
+      if (isArrayA && isArrayB) {
+        return a.length === b.length && a.every((e: any, i: number): boolean => {
+          return looseEqual(e, b[i])
+        })
+      } else if (!isArrayA && !isArrayB) {
+        const keysA: Array<string> = Object.keys(a)
+        const keysB: Array<string> = Object.keys(b)
+        return keysA.length === keysB.length && keysA.every((key: string): boolean => {
+          return looseEqual(a[key], b[key])
+        })
+      } else {
+        /* istanbul ignore next */
+        return false
+      }
+    } catch (e) {
+      /* istanbul ignore next */
+      return false
+    }
+  } else if (!isObjectA && !isObjectB) {
+    return String(a) === String(b)
+  } else {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
 export const canUseDateTimeFormat: boolean =
   typeof Intl !== 'undefined' && typeof Intl.DateTimeFormat !== 'undefined'
 
diff --git a/test/unit/directive.test.js b/test/unit/directive.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1bc07210
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/unit/directive.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,120 @@
+import messages from './fixture/index'
+
+describe('custom directive', () => {
+  let i18n
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    i18n = new VueI18n({
+      locale: 'en',
+      messages
+    })
+  })
+
+  function createVM (options) {
+    const el = document.createElement('div')
+    return new Vue(options).$mount(el)
+  }
+
+  describe('v-t', () => {
+    describe('string literal', () => {
+      it('should be translated', done => {
+        const vm = createVM({
+          i18n,
+          render (h) {
+            // <p ref="text" v-t="'message.hello'"></p>
+            return h('p', { ref: 'text', directives: [{
+              name: 't', rawName: 'v-t', value: ('message.hello'), expression: "'message.hello'"
+            }] })
+          }
+        })
+        nextTick(() => {
+          assert.equal(vm.$refs.text.textContent, messages.en.message.hello)
+          assert.equal(vm.$refs.text._vt, messages.en.message.hello)
+        }).then(done)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('object', () => {
+      it('should be translated', done => {
+        const vm = createVM({
+          i18n,
+          data: {
+            msgPath: 'message.format.named'
+          },
+          render (h) {
+            // <p ref="text" v-t="{ path: msgPath, locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }"></p>
+            return h('p', { ref: 'text', directives: [{
+              name: 't', rawName: 'v-t',
+              value: ({ path: this.msgPath, locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }),
+              expression: "{ path: msgPath, locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }"
+            }] })
+          }
+        })
+        nextTick(() => {
+          const expected = 'こんにちは kazupon, ごきげんいかが？'
+          assert.equal(vm.$refs.text.textContent, expected)
+          assert.equal(vm.$refs.text._vt, expected)
+        }).then(done)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('not support warning', () => {
+      it('should be warned', done => {
+        const spy = sinon.spy(console, 'warn')
+        createVM({
+          i18n,
+          render (h) {
+            // <p ref="text" v-t="[1]"></p>
+            return h('p', { ref: 'text', directives: [{
+              name: 't', rawName: 'v-t', value: ([1]), expression: '[1]'
+            }] })
+          }
+        })
+        nextTick(() => {
+          assert(spy.notCalled === false)
+          assert(spy.callCount === 1)
+          spy.restore()
+        }).then(done)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('path required warning', () => {
+      it('should be warned', done => {
+        const spy = sinon.spy(console, 'warn')
+        createVM({
+          i18n,
+          render (h) {
+            // <p ref="text" v-t="{ locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }"></p>
+            return h('p', { ref: 'text', directives: [{
+              name: 't', rawName: 'v-t',
+              value: ({ locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }),
+              expression: "{ locale: 'ja', args: { name: 'kazupon' } }"
+            }] })
+          }
+        })
+        nextTick(() => {
+          assert(spy.notCalled === false)
+          assert(spy.callCount === 1)
+          spy.restore()
+        }).then(done)
+      })
+    })
+
+    describe('VueI18n instance warning', () => {
+      it('should be warned', done => {
+        const spy = sinon.spy(console, 'warn')
+        createVM({
+          render (h) {
+            return h('p', { ref: 'text', directives: [{
+              name: 't', rawName: 'v-t', value: ('message.hello'), expression: "'message.hello'"
+            }] })
+          }
+        })
+        nextTick(() => {
+          assert(spy.notCalled === false)
+          assert(spy.callCount === 1)
+          spy.restore()
+        }).then(done)
+      })
+    })
+  })
+})