diff --git a/compiler/can/src/builtins.rs b/compiler/can/src/builtins.rs
index 6751010d0f..0f27af068c 100644
--- a/compiler/can/src/builtins.rs
+++ b/compiler/can/src/builtins.rs
@@ -271,6 +271,77 @@ pub fn builtin_defs(var_store: &mut VarStore) -> MutMap<Symbol, Def> {
     }
 }
 
+fn lowlevel_1(symbol: Symbol, op: LowLevel, var_store: &mut VarStore) -> Def {
+    let arg1_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let ret_var = var_store.fresh();
+
+    let body = RunLowLevel {
+        op,
+        args: vec![(arg1_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_1))],
+        ret_var,
+    };
+
+    defn(
+        symbol,
+        vec![(arg1_var, Symbol::ARG_1)],
+        var_store,
+        body,
+        ret_var,
+    )
+}
+
+fn lowlevel_2(symbol: Symbol, op: LowLevel, var_store: &mut VarStore) -> Def {
+    let arg1_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let arg2_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let ret_var = var_store.fresh();
+
+    let body = RunLowLevel {
+        op,
+        args: vec![
+            (arg1_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_1)),
+            (arg2_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_2)),
+        ],
+        ret_var,
+    };
+
+    defn(
+        symbol,
+        vec![(arg1_var, Symbol::ARG_1), (arg2_var, Symbol::ARG_2)],
+        var_store,
+        body,
+        ret_var,
+    )
+}
+
+fn lowlevel_3(symbol: Symbol, op: LowLevel, var_store: &mut VarStore) -> Def {
+    let arg1_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let arg2_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let arg3_var = var_store.fresh();
+    let ret_var = var_store.fresh();
+
+    let body = RunLowLevel {
+        op,
+        args: vec![
+            (arg1_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_1)),
+            (arg2_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_2)),
+            (arg3_var, Var(Symbol::ARG_3)),
+        ],
+        ret_var,
+    };
+
+    defn(
+        symbol,
+        vec![
+            (arg1_var, Symbol::ARG_1),
+            (arg2_var, Symbol::ARG_2),
+            (arg3_var, Symbol::ARG_3),
+        ],
+        var_store,
+        body,
+        ret_var,
+    )
+}
+
 /// Num.maxInt : Int
 fn num_max_int(symbol: Symbol, var_store: &mut VarStore) -> Def {
     let int_var = var_store.fresh();