diff --git a/utils/zerofrom/src/lib.rs b/utils/zerofrom/src/lib.rs
index 680a64f3fc0..31bb5728ca4 100644
--- a/utils/zerofrom/src/lib.rs
+++ b/utils/zerofrom/src/lib.rs
@@ -28,8 +28,17 @@ extern crate alloc;
 
 mod macro_impls;
 mod zero_from;
+mod zf_transparent;
 
 #[cfg(feature = "derive")]
 pub use zerofrom_derive::ZeroFrom;
 
 pub use crate::zero_from::ZeroFrom;
+
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+#[doc(hidden)] // for macros
+pub mod internal {
+    pub use crate::zf_transparent::cast_transparent_box;
+    pub use alloc::boxed::Box;
+    pub use alloc::rc::Rc;
+}
diff --git a/utils/zerofrom/src/zf_transparent.rs b/utils/zerofrom/src/zf_transparent.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..c872e3dbd92
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/zerofrom/src/zf_transparent.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,157 @@
+// This file is part of ICU4X. For terms of use, please see the file
+// called LICENSE at the top level of the ICU4X source tree
+// (online at: https://github.com/unicode-org/icu4x/blob/main/LICENSE ).
+
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+use alloc::boxed::Box;
+
+/// Internal function: casts a box of `Inner` to a box of `Outer`, assuming
+/// `Outer` is transparent over `Inner`.
+///
+/// # Safety
+///
+/// `Outer` is `repr(transparent)` and has one non-zero-sized field of type `Inner`.
+///
+/// Suggestion: explicitly setting the generic parameters to two types satisfying this invariant
+/// makes the fn safe to call.
+#[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+#[inline(always)]
+pub unsafe fn cast_transparent_box<Inner, Outer>(inner: Box<Inner>) -> Box<Outer> {
+    // Safety:
+    //
+    // - Both boxes have the same allocator (the global allocator).
+    // - Since `Outer` is transparent over `Inner`, they have the same layout.
+    // - `Box::into_raw` returns a properly aligned, non-null `*mut Inner`.
+    Box::from_raw(Box::into_raw(inner) as *mut Outer)
+}
+
+/// Implements [`ZeroFrom`](crate::ZeroFrom) on a transparent type
+/// from a reference to the inner type.
+///
+/// Also supports creating concrete functions.
+///
+/// # Examples
+///
+/// ```
+/// use crate::zerofrom::ZeroFrom;
+///
+/// zerofrom::transparent!(
+///     #[repr(transparent)]
+///     pub struct StrWrap(str);
+///     impl ZeroFrom<&str> for &StrWrap;
+/// );
+///
+/// let s = "hello";
+/// let wrap = <&StrWrap>::zero_from(s);
+///
+/// assert_eq!(&wrap.0, "hello");
+/// ```
+#[macro_export]
+macro_rules! transparent {
+	(
+		#[repr(transparent)]
+		$(#[$meta:meta])*
+		$vis:vis struct $outer:ident($inner:ty);
+		$(
+			impl ZeroFrom<&$inner_zf:ty> for &$outer_zf:ident;
+		)?
+		$(impl {
+			$(
+				@ref
+				$(#[$meta_ref:meta])*
+				$vis_ref:vis fn $fn_ref:ident(&$inner_ref:ty) -> &Self;
+			)?
+			$(
+				@slice
+				$(#[$meta_slice:meta])*
+				$vis_slice:vis fn $fn_slice:ident(&[$inner_slice:ty]) -> &[Self];
+			)?
+			$(
+				@box
+				$(#[$meta_box:meta])*
+				$vis_box:vis fn $fn_box:ident(Box<$inner_box:ty>) -> Box<Self>;
+			)?
+			$(
+				@rc
+				$(#[$meta_rc:meta])*
+				$vis_rc:vis fn $fn_rc:ident(Rc<$inner_rc:ty>) -> Rc<Self>;
+			)?
+		})?
+	) => {
+		#[repr(transparent)]
+		$(#[$meta])*
+		$vis struct $outer($inner);
+		$(
+			impl<'zf> $crate::ZeroFrom<'zf, $inner_zf> for &'zf $outer {
+				fn zero_from(inner: &'zf $inner) -> Self {
+					unsafe { core::mem::transmute::<&$inner, &$outer>(inner) }
+				}
+			}
+		)?
+		$(impl $outer {
+			$(
+				$(#[$meta_ref])*
+				$vis_ref fn $fn_ref(inner: &$inner_ref) -> &Self {
+					unsafe { core::mem::transmute::<&$inner, &$outer>(inner) }
+				}
+			)?
+			$(
+				$(#[$meta_slice])*
+				$vis_slice fn $fn_slice(inner: &[$inner_slice]) -> &[Self] {
+					unsafe { core::mem::transmute::<&[$inner], &[$outer]>(inner) }
+				}
+			)?
+			$(
+				$(#[$meta_box])*
+				$vis_box fn $fn_box(inner: $crate::internal::Box<$inner_box>) -> $crate::internal::Box<Self> {
+					// Safety: $outer is repr(transparent) over $inner.
+					unsafe { $crate::internal::cast_transparent_box::<$inner, $outer>(inner) }
+				}
+			)?
+			$(
+				$(#[$meta_rc])*
+				$vis_rc fn $fn_rc(inner: $crate::internal::Rc<$inner_rc>) -> $crate::internal::Rc<Self> {
+					unsafe { core::mem::transmute(inner) }
+				}
+			)?
+		})?
+	};
+}
+
+/// Additional tests for failure modes.
+///
+/// ```compile_fail,E0053
+/// zerofrom::transparent! {
+///     #[repr(transparent)]
+///     pub struct Foo(String);
+///     // Wrong types in these positions!
+///     impl ZeroFrom<&Foo> for &String;
+/// };
+/// ```
+///
+/// ```compile_fail,E0308
+/// zerofrom::transparent! {
+///     #[repr(transparent)]
+///     pub struct Foo(String);
+///     impl {
+///         @ref
+///         // Wrong type in this position!
+///         pub fn from(&Foo) -> &Self;
+///     }
+/// };
+/// ```
+///
+/// ```compile_fail,E0308
+/// zerofrom::transparent! {
+///     #[repr(transparent)]
+///     pub struct Foo(String);
+///     impl {
+///         @slice
+///         // Wrong type in this position!
+///         pub fn from(&[Foo]) -> &[Self];
+///     }
+/// };
+/// ```
+///
+/// TODO: Rc
+mod _tests {}
diff --git a/utils/zerofrom/tests/test_transparent.rs b/utils/zerofrom/tests/test_transparent.rs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..bdaed96ef60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/zerofrom/tests/test_transparent.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+// This file is part of ICU4X. For terms of use, please see the file
+// called LICENSE at the top level of the ICU4X source tree
+// (online at: https://github.com/unicode-org/icu4x/blob/main/LICENSE ).
+
+use zerofrom::transparent;
+
+transparent!(
+    #[repr(transparent)]
+    /// hello world
+    #[derive(Debug)]
+    pub(crate) struct Foo([u8; 3]);
+    impl ZeroFrom<&[u8; 3]> for &Foo;
+    impl {
+        @ref
+        /// Cast a transparent ref!
+        #[inline]
+        fn from_transparent_ref(&[u8; 3]) -> &Self;
+        @slice
+        /// Cast a transparent slice!
+        pub fn from_transparent_slice(&[[u8; 3]]) -> &[Self];
+        @box
+        /// Cast a transparent box!
+        #[cfg(feature = "alloc")]
+        fn from_transparent_box(Box<[u8; 3]>) -> Box<Self>;
+    }
+);
+
+#[test]
+fn test() {}