diff --git a/examples/221-try.sx b/examples/221-try.sx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..02f9ec8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/221-try.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+// First runnable `try` (ERR step E1.4a). The STANDALONE form: a failable
+// expression whose failure propagates to the enclosing function's error
+// return (Zig-style). `outer` calls `try inner(n)` — on `inner`'s failure
+// `outer` returns that error; on success it continues. Both are pure
+// failable (`-> !E`). The error-channel tuple ABI for value-carrying
+// `-> (T, !)` and `try` in an `or` chain land in ERR E1.4b/E2.
+
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+E :: error { Bad, Worse }
+
+inner :: (n: s32) -> !E {
+    if n < 0 { raise error.Bad; }
+    return;                              // success — no error
+}
+
+// Propagates inner's error (standalone `try`, target = function return).
+outer :: (n: s32) -> !E {
+    try inner(n);
+    return;
+}
+
+main :: () -> s32 {
+    bad  := outer(-1);                   // inner raises Bad -> outer propagates
+    good := outer(7);                    // inner succeeds   -> outer succeeds
+    r : s32 = 0;
+    if bad  == error.Bad   { r = r + 5; }    // true  -> +5
+    if good == error.Bad   { r = r + 1; }     // false (success = no error)
+    if bad  == error.Worse { r = r + 2; }     // false (propagated Bad)
+    print("try result: {}\n", r);             // -> 5
+    return r;
+}
diff --git a/examples/222-try-rejections.sx b/examples/222-try-rejections.sx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..15615d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/222-try-rejections.sx
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// `try` rejections (ERR step E1.4a):
+//   - `try` is only valid inside a failable function,
+//   - the operand must be failable (the sole failable-operand check —
+//     the parser imposes none),
+//   - propagating a `try` whose callee's error set is not a subset of the
+//     caller's named set is rejected (widening at a function-propagation site).
+// The positive case lives in `examples/221-try.sx`.
+
+#import "modules/std.sx";
+
+A :: error { Xa }
+B :: error { Yb }
+
+ga    :: () -> !A  { return; }
+gb    :: () -> !B  { return; }
+plain :: () -> s32 { return 0; }
+
+// `try` in a non-failable function.
+bad_ctx :: () -> s32 {
+    try ga();                  // error: `try` outside a failable function
+    return 0;
+}
+
+// `try` on a non-failable operand.
+bad_operand :: () -> !A {
+    try plain();               // error: operand has type s32 (not failable)
+    return;
+}
+
+// Callee's set (B = {Yb}) is not a subset of the caller's set (A = {Xa}).
+widen :: () -> !A {
+    try gb();                  // error: Yb not in caller's error set A
+    return;
+}
+
+main :: () -> s32 {
+    a := bad_ctx();            // force bad_ctx to lower
+    b := bad_operand();        // force bad_operand to lower
+    c := widen();              // force widen to lower
+    return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/ir/lower.zig b/src/ir/lower.zig
index e751a82..9affa08 100644
--- a/src/ir/lower.zig
+++ b/src/ir/lower.zig
@@ -2558,6 +2558,7 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
                 break :blk self.emitError(te.name, node.span);
             },
 
+            .try_expr => |te| self.lowerTry(te.operand, node.span),
             else => self.emitError("unknown_expr", node.span),
         };
     }
@@ -2589,6 +2590,17 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
         }
         // Short-circuit: `a or b` → if a then true else b
         if (bop.op == .or_op) {
+            // Failable `or` (chain / value-terminator) routes per the fallback
+            // target and unions error sets — that, plus the whole-program SCC,
+            // lands in E1.4b/E2.4. Detect a failable LHS (a `try`, or any
+            // expression carrying an error channel) and bail loudly rather than
+            // mis-lower it through the optional-unwrap path below.
+            if (self.exprIsFailable(bop.lhs)) {
+                if (self.diagnostics) |diags| {
+                    diags.addFmt(.err, bop.lhs.span, "failable `or` (chain / value terminator) is not yet lowered — pending ERR E1.4b; for now use a single `try` or a `catch`", .{});
+                }
+                return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+            }
             const lhs = self.lowerExpr(bop.lhs);
             const rhs_bb = self.freshBlock("or.rhs");
             const merge_bb = self.freshBlockWithParams("or.merge", &.{.bool});
@@ -13529,6 +13541,18 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
                 },
                 else => .unresolved,
             },
+            // `try X` evaluates to X's success type (the value part). A
+            // pure-failable operand (`-> !` / `-> !Named`, whose type IS the
+            // error set) has no value → `void`; a value-carrying `-> (T, !)`
+            // operand yields its value part (single field, or the tuple).
+            .try_expr => |te| blk: {
+                const op_ty = self.inferExprType(te.operand);
+                const channel = self.errorChannelOf(op_ty) orelse break :blk .unresolved;
+                if (op_ty == channel) break :blk .void;
+                const info = self.module.types.get(op_ty);
+                if (info == .tuple and info.tuple.fields.len == 2) break :blk info.tuple.fields[0];
+                break :blk op_ty;
+            },
             .if_expr => |ie| {
                 // If-else: infer from then branch
                 if (ie.else_branch != null) {
@@ -15068,6 +15092,98 @@ pub const Lowering = struct {
         }
     }
 
+    /// True if `node`'s value is failable — a `try` (the result is its
+    /// operand's success value, but the expression itself routes an error) or
+    /// any expression whose type carries an error channel (a bare failable
+    /// call). Used to detect failable `or` chains (deferred to E1.4b).
+    fn exprIsFailable(self: *Lowering, node: *const Node) bool {
+        if (node.data == .try_expr) return true;
+        return self.errorChannelOf(self.inferExprType(node)) != null;
+    }
+
+    /// `try X` — a fallible attempt (ERR step E1.4a: the STANDALONE form, whose
+    /// failure target is function-propagation). Evaluates X; on failure, runs
+    /// the function's defers and returns the error to the caller; on success,
+    /// continues with X's value. E1.4a lowers the pure-failable shape (callee
+    /// `-> !` / `-> !Named`, caller likewise pure-failable). Value-carrying
+    /// callees, propagation from a value-carrying caller, and `try` inside an
+    /// `or` chain need the error-channel tuple ABI / fallback routing — those
+    /// land in E1.4b/E2, so we bail loudly here.
+    fn lowerTry(self: *Lowering, operand: *const Node, span: ast.Span) Ref {
+        // (1) `try` is legal only inside a failable function.
+        const caller_ret = self.effectiveReturnType() orelse {
+            self.diagTryNotFailable(span);
+            return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+        };
+        const caller_set = self.errorChannelOf(caller_ret) orelse {
+            self.diagTryNotFailable(span);
+            return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+        };
+
+        // (2) The operand must be failable. This is the sole failable-operand
+        //     check (the parser imposes none — see E0.2).
+        const op_ty = self.inferExprType(operand);
+        const callee_set = self.errorChannelOf(op_ty) orelse {
+            if (self.diagnostics) |diags| {
+                diags.addFmt(.err, span, "`try` requires a failable expression; operand has type '{s}'", .{self.formatTypeName(op_ty)});
+            }
+            return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+        };
+
+        // E1.4a scope guards — bail loudly on the shapes E2/E1.4b own.
+        if (op_ty != callee_set) {
+            // Value-carrying callee: `try` must bind the value slot(s), which
+            // needs the error-channel tuple ABI (E2).
+            return self.bailTry(span, "a value-carrying failable callee (`-> (T..., !)`)");
+        }
+        if (caller_ret != caller_set) {
+            // Propagating from a value-carrying caller needs undef value slots
+            // alongside the error slot (E2's tuple ABI).
+            return self.bailTry(span, "a value-carrying failable function");
+        }
+
+        // (3) Widening: the callee's escape set must be ⊆ the caller's named
+        //     set. For an inferred caller (`!`) the absorption happens in the
+        //     whole-program SCC (E1.4b) — no check here.
+        if (!self.isInferredErrorSet(caller_set)) {
+            self.checkErrorSetSubset(callee_set, caller_set, span);
+        }
+
+        // (4) Lower: evaluate the call (→ the error tag, 0 = success), branch.
+        const err_val = self.lowerExpr(operand);
+        const err_ty = self.builder.getRefType(err_val);
+        const zero = self.builder.constInt(0, err_ty);
+        const is_err = self.builder.emit(.{ .cmp_ne = .{ .lhs = err_val, .rhs = zero } }, .bool);
+
+        const prop_bb = self.freshBlock("try.prop");
+        const ok_bb = self.freshBlock("try.ok");
+        self.builder.condBr(is_err, prop_bb, &.{}, ok_bb, &.{});
+
+        // Propagation: run the function's defers, then return the error tag
+        // (widened to the caller's set — global-flat tag ids carry across).
+        self.builder.switchToBlock(prop_bb);
+        self.emitBlockDefers(self.func_defer_base);
+        const widened = if (err_ty != caller_set) self.coerceToType(err_val, err_ty, caller_set) else err_val;
+        self.builder.ret(widened, caller_set);
+
+        // Success: continue. A pure-failable callee has no value slots.
+        self.builder.switchToBlock(ok_bb);
+        return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+    }
+
+    fn diagTryNotFailable(self: *Lowering, span: ast.Span) void {
+        if (self.diagnostics) |diags| {
+            diags.addFmt(.err, span, "`try` is only valid inside a failable function (a return type with `!` or `!Named`)", .{});
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn bailTry(self: *Lowering, span: ast.Span, comptime what: []const u8) Ref {
+        if (self.diagnostics) |diags| {
+            diags.addFmt(.err, span, "`try` with " ++ what ++ " is not yet lowered — pending the error-channel tuple ABI / fallback routing (ERR E1.4b/E2)", .{});
+        }
+        return self.builder.constInt(0, .void);
+    }
+
     fn binOpSymbol(op: ast.BinaryOp.Op) []const u8 {
         return switch (op) {
             .add => "+",
diff --git a/tests/expected/221-try.exit b/tests/expected/221-try.exit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7ed6ff8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/expected/221-try.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+5
diff --git a/tests/expected/221-try.txt b/tests/expected/221-try.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d8ef255
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/expected/221-try.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+try result: 5
diff --git a/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.exit b/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.exit
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d00491f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.exit
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1
diff --git a/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.txt b/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..69174be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/expected/222-try-rejections.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+error: `try` is only valid inside a failable function (a return type with `!` or `!Named`)
+  --> /Users/agra/projects/sx/examples/222-try-rejections.sx:20:5
+   |
+20 |     try ga();                  // error: `try` outside a failable function
+   |     ^^^^^^^^
+
+error: `try` requires a failable expression; operand has type 's32'
+  --> /Users/agra/projects/sx/examples/222-try-rejections.sx:26:5
+   |
+26 |     try plain();               // error: operand has type s32 (not failable)
+   |     ^^^^^^^^^^^
+
+error: error tag 'error.Yb' is not in caller's error set 'A'
+  --> /Users/agra/projects/sx/examples/222-try-rejections.sx:32:5
+   |
+32 |     try gb();                  // error: Yb not in caller's error set A
+   |     ^^^^^^^^