diff --git a/docs/debugger.md b/docs/debugger.md
index 57ee006..06ae747 100644
--- a/docs/debugger.md
+++ b/docs/debugger.md
@@ -85,10 +85,12 @@ context (next section).
 ### The frame: an embedded `Frame`, not a PC
 
 **A runtime frame is a pointer to a compile-time-interned
-`Frame {file, line, col, func}`.** The lowerer already knows the push
+`Frame {file, line, col, func, line_text}`.** The lowerer already knows the push
 site's source location (the instruction's span + the enclosing function),
-so the location is baked into read-only data at compile time and the
-formatter reads it directly. No PC capture, no DWARF, no symbolizer.
+so the location — *and the offending source line itself* (`line_text`, for the
+`^` caret snippet) — is baked into read-only data at compile time and the
+formatter reads it directly. No PC capture, no DWARF, no symbolizer, no runtime
+file read.
 
 A comptime frame is instead a packed `(func_id: u32, ir_offset: u32)`,
 resolved through the interpreter's in-memory IR/source tables. The
@@ -435,7 +437,7 @@ a Mach-O debug map, never register JIT DWARF.
 | DWARF emission (compile unit / subprogram / line table) | ✅ done — E3.0 slice 2 (`c32d694`) |
 | Niladic trace-push op + interned `Frame` table (runtime) | ✅ done — E3.3 slice 3a (`1b6cbc1`) |
 | Comptime resolver (`func_id, ir_offset` → location) | ✅ done — slice 3b |
-| Source snippet + `^` caret | ⏳ planned — slice 3c |
+| Source snippet + `^` caret | ✅ done — slice 3c (line embedded in `Frame`) |
 | `--emit-obj` / `--debug` artifact plumbing | ⏳ planned — slice 3d |
 | Stepping verification ladder (macOS → sim → device) | ⏳ planned — slice 3e (capstone) |
 | DWARF variable info (`DILocalVariable`, for `p x`) | ⏳ optional follow-on |
diff --git a/library/modules/trace.sx b/library/modules/trace.sx
index 13b8f61..80ed04f 100644
--- a/library/modules/trace.sx
+++ b/library/modules/trace.sx
@@ -27,6 +27,18 @@ Frame :: struct {
     line: s32;
     col: s32;
     func: string;
+    line_text: string;    // the source line, for the snippet + caret
+}
+
+// `n` spaces — used to position the `^` caret under a column.
+spaces :: (n: s32) -> string {
+    s := "";
+    i : s32 = 0;
+    while i < n {
+        s = concat(s, " ");
+        i = i + 1;
+    }
+    s;
 }
 
 // The error-trace buffer C API (library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c),
@@ -54,8 +66,11 @@ to_string :: () -> string {
     i : u32 = 0;
     while i < n {
         f := __trace_resolve_frame(sx_trace_frame_at(i));
-        line := format("  {} at {}:{}:{}\n", f.func, f.file, f.line, f.col);
-        result = concat(result, line);
+        result = concat(result, format("  {} at {}:{}:{}\n", f.func, f.file, f.line, f.col));
+        if f.line_text.len > 0 {
+            result = concat(result, format("    {}\n", f.line_text));
+            result = concat(result, concat("    ", concat(spaces(f.col - 1), "^\n")));
+        }
         i = i + 1;
     }
     result;
diff --git a/library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c b/library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c
index 0773a78..0ca3da8 100644
--- a/library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c
+++ b/library/vendors/sx_trace_runtime/sx_trace.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ uint64_t sx_trace_frame_at(uint32_t i) {
 // `string` is `{ const char* ptr; int64_t len; }`. This mirror MUST stay in
 // lockstep with `getFrameStructType` in emit_llvm.zig and `Frame` in trace.sx.
 typedef struct { const char *ptr; int64_t len; } SxStr;
-typedef struct { SxStr file; int32_t line; int32_t col; SxStr func; } SxFrame;
+typedef struct { SxStr file; int32_t line; int32_t col; SxStr func; SxStr line_text; } SxFrame;
 
 // The failable-`main` entry-point reporter (ERR step E4.2). Called by the
 // emitted main wrapper when an error reaches the function boundary: prints the
@@ -99,5 +99,9 @@ void sx_trace_report_unhandled(uint32_t tag, const char *name, size_t name_len)
                 (int)f->func.len, f->func.ptr,
                 (int)f->file.len, f->file.ptr,
                 f->line, f->col);
+        if (f->line_text.len > 0) {
+            dprintf(2, "    %.*s\n", (int)f->line_text.len, f->line_text.ptr);
+            dprintf(2, "    %*s^\n", f->col > 0 ? f->col - 1 : 0, "");
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/errors.zig b/src/errors.zig
index d2b9484..ce20753 100644
--- a/src/errors.zig
+++ b/src/errors.zig
@@ -33,6 +33,18 @@ pub const SourceLoc = struct {
     }
 };
 
+/// The whole source line containing `byte_offset` (no trailing newline). Empty
+/// when `source` is empty. Used to embed the offending line in a trace `Frame`.
+pub fn lineAt(source: []const u8, byte_offset: u32) []const u8 {
+    if (source.len == 0) return source;
+    const at = @min(byte_offset, @as(u32, @intCast(source.len)));
+    var start: usize = at;
+    while (start > 0 and source[start - 1] != '\n') start -= 1;
+    var end: usize = at;
+    while (end < source.len and source[end] != '\n') end += 1;
+    return source[start..end];
+}
+
 pub const LineInfo = struct {
     line_num: u32,
     text: []const u8,
diff --git a/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig b/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
index 77c74b0..6b1da0d 100644
--- a/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
+++ b/src/ir/emit_llvm.zig
@@ -4721,8 +4721,9 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
             self.cached_i32, // line
             self.cached_i32, // col
             str_ty, // func
+            str_ty, // line_text (the source line, for the snippet)
         };
-        self.frame_struct_type = c.LLVMStructTypeInContext(self.context, &field_types, 4, 0);
+        self.frame_struct_type = c.LLVMStructTypeInContext(self.context, &field_types, 5, 0);
         return self.frame_struct_type.?;
     }
 
@@ -4761,9 +4762,10 @@ pub const LLVMEmitter = struct {
             c.LLVMConstInt(self.cached_i32, loc.line, 0),
             c.LLVMConstInt(self.cached_i32, loc.col, 0),
             self.buildStringConst(func_name),
+            self.buildStringConst(errors.lineAt(src, instruction.span.start)),
         };
         const frame_ty = self.getFrameStructType();
-        const frame_const = c.LLVMConstNamedStruct(frame_ty, &fields, 4);
+        const frame_const = c.LLVMConstNamedStruct(frame_ty, &fields, 5);
         const g = c.LLVMAddGlobal(self.llvm_module, frame_ty, "trace.frame");
         c.LLVMSetInitializer(g, frame_const);
         c.LLVMSetGlobalConstant(g, 1);
diff --git a/src/ir/interp.zig b/src/ir/interp.zig
index 85839d5..096d4b0 100644
--- a/src/ir/interp.zig
+++ b/src/ir/interp.zig
@@ -677,18 +677,21 @@ pub const Interpreter = struct {
                 const file = std.fs.path.basename(file_full);
                 var line: i64 = 1;
                 var col: i64 = 1;
+                var line_text: []const u8 = "";
                 if (self.source_map) |sm| {
                     if (sm.get(file_full)) |src| {
                         const loc = errors.SourceLoc.compute(src, offset);
                         line = @intCast(loc.line);
                         col = @intCast(loc.col);
+                        line_text = errors.lineAt(src, offset);
                     }
                 }
-                const fields = self.alloc.alloc(Value, 4) catch return .{ .value = .undef };
+                const fields = self.alloc.alloc(Value, 5) catch return .{ .value = .undef };
                 fields[0] = .{ .string = file };
                 fields[1] = .{ .int = line };
                 fields[2] = .{ .int = col };
                 fields[3] = .{ .string = func_name };
+                fields[4] = .{ .string = line_text };
                 return .{ .value = .{ .aggregate = fields } };
             },
             .const_type => |tid| return .{ .value = .{ .type_tag = tid } },
diff --git a/tests/expected/243-trace-format.txt b/tests/expected/243-trace-format.txt
index f0d79c9..680f27a 100644
--- a/tests/expected/243-trace-format.txt
+++ b/tests/expected/243-trace-format.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 [stdout] caught BadInput
 error return trace (most recent call last):
   leaf at 243-trace-format.sx:20:16
+        if n < 0 { raise error.BadInput; }   // pushes frame 0
+                   ^
   mid at 243-trace-format.sx:25:5
+        try leaf(n);                          // propagation pushes frame 1
+        ^
 [stdout] recovered; trace buffer now empty (len 0)
diff --git a/tests/expected/244-failable-main.txt b/tests/expected/244-failable-main.txt
index 8a6d133..537b32a 100644
--- a/tests/expected/244-failable-main.txt
+++ b/tests/expected/244-failable-main.txt
@@ -2,4 +2,8 @@ v = 10
 error: unhandled error reached main: error.Empty
 error return trace (most recent call last):
   inner at 244-failable-main.sx:18:17
+        if n == 0 { raise error.Empty; }       // pushes a frame
+                    ^
   main at 244-failable-main.sx:26:10
+        w := try inner(0);                       // raises Empty → propagates to main
+             ^
diff --git a/tests/expected/247-failable-or-chain-propagate.txt b/tests/expected/247-failable-or-chain-propagate.txt
index a056646..f330fed 100644
--- a/tests/expected/247-failable-or-chain-propagate.txt
+++ b/tests/expected/247-failable-or-chain-propagate.txt
@@ -1,8 +1,20 @@
 error: unhandled error reached main: error.A
 error return trace (most recent call last):
   fa at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:14:17
+        if n == 0 { raise error.A; }
+                    ^
   main at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:19:10
+        v := try fa(0) or try fa(0) or try fa(0);   // all fail → propagate to main
+             ^
   fa at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:14:17
+        if n == 0 { raise error.A; }
+                    ^
   main at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:19:10
+        v := try fa(0) or try fa(0) or try fa(0);   // all fail → propagate to main
+             ^
   fa at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:14:17
+        if n == 0 { raise error.A; }
+                    ^
   main at 247-failable-or-chain-propagate.sx:19:10
+        v := try fa(0) or try fa(0) or try fa(0);   // all fail → propagate to main
+             ^
diff --git a/tests/expected/253-comptime-trace.txt b/tests/expected/253-comptime-trace.txt
index 76a0016..adbfefa 100644
--- a/tests/expected/253-comptime-trace.txt
+++ b/tests/expected/253-comptime-trace.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 comptime caught Bad
 error return trace (most recent call last):
   leaf at 253-comptime-trace.sx:15:5
+        raise error.Bad;
+        ^
   mid at 253-comptime-trace.sx:19:5
+        try leaf();
+        ^
 --- build done ---