diff --git a/io/path.h b/io/path.h
index f739382..3610b33 100644
--- a/io/path.h
+++ b/io/path.h
@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@
 #include <list>
 #include <string>
 #include <string_view>
+#ifdef CPP_UTILITIES_USE_STANDARD_FILESYSTEM
+#include <filesystem>
+#endif
 
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
 #define PATH_SEP_CHAR '\\'
@@ -33,6 +36,32 @@ CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT std::string_view directory(std::string_view path);
 #endif
 CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT void removeInvalidChars(std::string &fileName);
 
+/// \brief The native type used by std::filesystem:path.
+/// \remarks The current implementation requires this to be always wchar_t on Windows and char otherwise.
+using PathValueType =
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+    wchar_t
+#else
+    char
+#endif
+   ;
+#ifdef CPP_UTILITIES_USE_STANDARD_FILESYSTEM
+static_assert(std::is_same_v<typename std::filesystem::path::value_type, PathValueType>);
+#endif
+
+/// \brief The string type used to store paths in the native encoding.
+/// \remarks This type is used to store paths when interfacing with native APIs.
+using NativePathString = std::basic_string<PathValueType>;
+/// \brief The string view type used to pass paths in the native encoding.
+/// \remarks This type is used to pass paths when interfacing with native APIs.
+using NativePathStringView = std::basic_string_view<PathValueType>;
+/// \brief The string type used to store paths UTF-8 encoded.
+/// \remarks This type is used to store paths everywhere except when interfacing directly with native APIs.
+using PathString = std::string;
+/// \brief The string view type used to pass paths UTF-8 encoded.
+/// \remarks This type is used to pass paths everywhere except when interfacing directly with native APIs.
+using PathStringView = std::string_view;
+
 /*!
  * \brief Returns \a path in the platform's native encoding.
  * \remarks
@@ -46,11 +75,11 @@ CPP_UTILITIES_EXPORT void removeInvalidChars(std::string &fileName);
  */
 inline
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
-    std::wstring
+    NativePathString
 #else
-    std::string_view
+    NativePathStringView
 #endif
-    makeNativePath(std::string_view path)
+    makeNativePath(PathStringView path)
 {
 #ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
     auto ec = std::error_code();
@@ -60,6 +89,25 @@ inline
 #endif
 }
 
+/*!
+ * \brief Returns \a path as UTF-8 string or string view.
+ * \sa This is the opposite of makeNativePath() so checkout remarks of that function for details.
+ */
+inline
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+    PathString
+#else
+    PathStringView
+#endif
+    extractNativePath(NativePathStringView path) {
+#ifdef PLATFORM_WINDOWS
+    auto res = convertUtf16LEToUtf8(reinterpret_cast<const char *>(path.data()), path.size() * 2);
+    return std::string(res.first.get(), res.second);
+#else
+    return path;
+#endif
+}
+
 } // namespace CppUtilities
 
 #endif // IOUTILITIES_PATHHELPER_H