diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macro.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macro.ts
index 679a88bfa..08fa9ded6 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macro.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macro.ts
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ function macro({ state, babel, config }: MacroParams) {
 ;[
   JsMacroName.defineMessage,
   JsMacroName.msg,
+  JsMacroName.arg,
+  JsMacroName.ph,
   JsMacroName.t,
   JsMacroName.useLingui,
   JsMacroName.plural,
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macroJsAst.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macroJsAst.ts
index f1bad5ba7..373ceec5d 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macroJsAst.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/src/macroJsAst.ts
@@ -257,20 +257,11 @@ export function tokenizeExpression(
   if (t.isTSAsExpression(node)) {
     return tokenizeExpression(node.expression, ctx)
   }
+
   if (t.isObjectExpression(node)) {
     return tokenizeLabeledExpression(node, ctx)
-  } else if (
-    t.isCallExpression(node) &&
-    isLinguiIdentifier(node.callee, JsMacroName.ph, ctx) &&
-    node.arguments.length > 0
-  ) {
-    if (!t.isObjectExpression(node.arguments[0])) {
-      throw new Error(
-        "Incorrect usage of `ph` macro. First argument should be an ObjectExpression"
-      )
-    }
-
-    return tokenizeLabeledExpression(node.arguments[0], ctx)
+  } else if (t.isCallExpression(node) && isPhDecorator(node, ctx)) {
+    return tokenizePhDecorator(node, ctx)
   }
 
   return {
@@ -280,18 +271,24 @@ export function tokenizeExpression(
   }
 }
 
+function tokenizePhDecorator(node: CallExpression, ctx: MacroJsContext) {
+  if (node.arguments.length !== 1 || !t.isObjectExpression(node.arguments[0])) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "Incorrect usage of `ph` macro. Expected exactly one argument as `{variableName: variableValue}`"
+    )
+  }
+
+  return tokenizeLabeledExpression(node.arguments[0], ctx)
+}
+
 export function tokenizeArg(
   node: CallExpression,
   ctx: MacroJsContext
 ): ArgToken {
-  const arg = node.arguments[0] as Expression
+  const token = tokenizeExpression(node.arguments[0] as Expression, ctx)
+  token.raw = true
 
-  return {
-    type: "arg",
-    name: expressionToArgument(arg, ctx),
-    raw: true,
-    value: arg,
-  }
+  return token
 }
 
 export function expressionToArgument(
@@ -304,7 +301,14 @@ export function expressionToArgument(
   return String(ctx.getExpressionIndex())
 }
 
-export function isArgDecorator(node: Node, ctx: MacroJsContext): boolean {
+export function isPhDecorator(node: Node, ctx: MacroJsContext) {
+  return (
+    t.isCallExpression(node) &&
+    isLinguiIdentifier(node.callee, JsMacroName.ph, ctx)
+  )
+}
+
+export function isArgDecorator(node: Node, ctx: MacroJsContext) {
   return (
     t.isCallExpression(node) &&
     isLinguiIdentifier(node.callee, JsMacroName.arg, ctx)
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-defineMessage.test.ts.snap b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-defineMessage.test.ts.snap
index 414de0c8c..39883be93 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-defineMessage.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-defineMessage.test.ts.snap
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ const message =
 `;
 
 exports[`should expand macros in message property 1`] = `
-import { defineMessage, plural, arg } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+import { defineMessage, plural } from "@lingui/core/macro";
 const message = defineMessage({
   comment: "Description",
   message: plural(value, { one: "book", other: "books" }),
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-plural.test.ts.snap b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-plural.test.ts.snap
index d3bfff5d6..5cecfbb69 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-plural.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-plural.test.ts.snap
@@ -147,6 +147,31 @@ _i18n._(
 
 `;
 
+exports[`Macro with utility arg macro usage in options 1`] = `
+import { plural, arg } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+plural(count, {
+  one: \`# book on {\${arg(today)}, date}\`,
+  other: \`# books on {\${arg(today)}, date}\`,
+});
+
+↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
+
+import { i18n as _i18n } from "@lingui/core";
+_i18n._(
+  /*i18n*/
+  {
+    id: "lEIbMo",
+    message:
+      "{count, plural, one {# book on {today, date}} other {# books on {today, date}}}",
+    values: {
+      count: count,
+      today: today,
+    },
+  }
+);
+
+`;
+
 exports[`plural macro could be renamed 1`] = `
 import { plural as plural2 } from "@lingui/core/macro";
 const a = plural2(count, {
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-t.test.ts.snap b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-t.test.ts.snap
index 0aada704a..e47ac3f59 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-t.test.ts.snap
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/__snapshots__/js-t.test.ts.snap
@@ -514,6 +514,57 @@ _i18n._(
 
 `;
 
+exports[`Variables with arg macro is not wrapped in curly brackets 1`] = `
+import { t, arg } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+t\`Number {\${arg(num)}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+
+↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
+
+import { i18n as _i18n } from "@lingui/core";
+_i18n._(
+  /*i18n*/
+  {
+    id: "6HvXd1",
+    message: "Number {num, number, myNumberStyle}",
+    values: {
+      num: num,
+    },
+  }
+);
+
+`;
+
+exports[`Variables with arg macro supports named placeholders syntax 1`] = `
+import { t, arg, ph } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+t\`Number {\${arg({ num: getNum() })}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+t\`Number {\${arg(ph({ num: getNum() }))}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+
+↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
+
+import { i18n as _i18n } from "@lingui/core";
+_i18n._(
+  /*i18n*/
+  {
+    id: "6HvXd1",
+    message: "Number {num, number, myNumberStyle}",
+    values: {
+      num: getNum(),
+    },
+  }
+);
+_i18n._(
+  /*i18n*/
+  {
+    id: "6HvXd1",
+    message: "Number {num, number, myNumberStyle}",
+    values: {
+      num: getNum(),
+    },
+  }
+);
+
+`;
+
 exports[`Variables with escaped double quotes are correctly formatted 1`] = `
 import { t } from "@lingui/core/macro";
 t\`Variable "name"\`;
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-defineMessage.test.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-defineMessage.test.ts
index f5bad8ac2..33b1e2d46 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-defineMessage.test.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-defineMessage.test.ts
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ macroTester({
     {
       name: "should expand macros in message property",
       code: `
-        import { defineMessage, plural, arg } from '@lingui/core/macro';
+        import { defineMessage, plural } from '@lingui/core/macro';
         const message = defineMessage({
           comment: "Description",
           message: plural(value, { one: "book", other: "books" })
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-plural.test.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-plural.test.ts
index d30769ad2..6bf4fc494 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-plural.test.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-plural.test.ts
@@ -69,6 +69,17 @@ macroTester({
       `,
     },
 
+    {
+      name: "Macro with utility arg macro usage in options",
+      code: `
+        import { plural, arg } from '@lingui/core/macro';
+        plural(count, {
+          "one": \`# book on {\${arg(today)}, date}\`,
+          other: \`# books on {\${arg(today)}, date}\`
+        });
+      `,
+    },
+
     {
       useTypescriptPreset: true,
       name: "Macro with labeled expression with `as` expression",
diff --git a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-t.test.ts b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-t.test.ts
index b6e63ae61..a5f86b2f5 100644
--- a/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-t.test.ts
+++ b/packages/babel-plugin-lingui-macro/test/js-t.test.ts
@@ -109,6 +109,21 @@ macroTester({
         t\`Variable \${{name} as any}\`;
     `,
     },
+    {
+      name: "Variables with arg macro is not wrapped in curly brackets",
+      code: `
+        import { t, arg } from '@lingui/core/macro';
+        t\`Number {\${arg(num)}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+      `,
+    },
+    {
+      name: "Variables with arg macro supports named placeholders syntax",
+      code: `
+        import { t, arg, ph } from '@lingui/core/macro';
+        t\`Number {\${arg({num: getNum()})}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+        t\`Number {\${arg(ph({num: getNum()}))}, number, myNumberStyle}\`;
+      `,
+    },
     {
       name: "Newlines are preserved",
       code: `
diff --git a/packages/core/macro/__typetests__/index.tst.ts b/packages/core/macro/__typetests__/index.tst.ts
index 72ab87446..1bec04a12 100644
--- a/packages/core/macro/__typetests__/index.tst.ts
+++ b/packages/core/macro/__typetests__/index.tst.ts
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import {
   selectOrdinal,
   select,
   ph,
+  arg,
 } from "@lingui/core/macro"
 
 const name = "Jack"
@@ -295,3 +296,16 @@ expect(
 
 // should accept only strings
 expect(select).type.not.toBeCallableWith("male", { male: 5, other: 5 })
+
+///////////////////
+//// Arg
+///////////////////
+
+// simple
+expect(t`Hello ${arg(name)}`).type.toBe<string>()
+
+// with labeled value
+expect(t`Hello ${arg({ name: user.name })}`).type.toBe<string>()
+
+// with ph labeled value
+expect(t`Hello ${arg(ph({ name: user.name }))}`).type.toBe<string>()
diff --git a/packages/core/macro/index.d.ts b/packages/core/macro/index.d.ts
index 8a26aa185..0e056f030 100644
--- a/packages/core/macro/index.d.ts
+++ b/packages/core/macro/index.d.ts
@@ -233,3 +233,15 @@ export const msg: typeof defineMessage
  * Helps to define a name for a variable in the message
  */
 export function ph(def: LabeledExpression<string | number>): string
+
+/**
+ * Helps to inject a variable into the other macro usage without automatically wrapping it in curly brackets,
+ * so it can be used with custom ICU expressions.
+ *
+ * @example
+ * ```
+ * import { t, arg } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+ * t`Number {${arg(num)}, number, myNumberStyle}`;
+ * ```
+ */
+export function arg(def: MessagePlaceholder): string
diff --git a/website/docs/ref/macro.mdx b/website/docs/ref/macro.mdx
index 25f46fe37..47e323201 100644
--- a/website/docs/ref/macro.mdx
+++ b/website/docs/ref/macro.mdx
@@ -499,6 +499,35 @@ const message = /*i18n*/ {
 
 :::
 
+### `arg`
+
+The `arg` macro is a utility macro that helps to inject a message variables into the other macro usage without automatically wrapping them in curly brackets.
+
+```ts
+arg(value: string | number)
+```
+
+It can be used to apply custom formatting to a variable inside the other macro call. It is an escape hatch for writing message syntax using [ICU MessageFormat](/guides/message-format) on your own.
+
+```js
+import { t, arg } from "@lingui/core/macro";
+const message = t`Number {${arg(num)}, number, myNumberStyle}`;
+
+// ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓ ↓
+
+import { i18n } from "@lingui/core";
+
+const message = i18n._(
+  /*i18n*/ {
+    id: "6HvXd1",
+    message: "Number {num, number, myNumberStyle}",
+    values: { num },
+  }
+);
+```
+
+:::
+
 ## React Macros
 
 React (JSX) Macros are used in JSX elements and are transformed into the [`Trans`](/ref/react#trans) component imported from the [`@lingui/react`](/ref/react) package.