diff --git a/.changeset/vast-terms-fix.md b/.changeset/vast-terms-fix.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..aecea29
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/vast-terms-fix.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"monarch-orm": patch
+---
+
+Add path to error message
diff --git a/src/errors.ts b/src/errors.ts
index 7bb9bc1..ba4ea7d 100644
--- a/src/errors.ts
+++ b/src/errors.ts
@@ -6,4 +6,41 @@ export class MonarchError extends Error {}
 /**
  * Schema parsing and validation error.
  */
-export class MonarchParseError extends MonarchError {}
+export class MonarchParseError extends MonarchError {
+  private path: (string | number)[];
+  private cause?: MonarchParseError;
+
+  constructor(message: string);
+  constructor(cause: { path: string | number; error: MonarchParseError });
+  constructor(
+    error:
+      | string
+      | {
+          path: string | number;
+          error: MonarchParseError;
+        },
+  ) {
+    let message: string;
+    let path: (string | number)[] = [];
+    let cause: MonarchParseError | undefined;
+
+    if (typeof error === "string") {
+      message = error;
+    } else {
+      cause = error.error.cause ?? error.error;
+      path = [error.path, ...error.error.path];
+
+      const pathString = path.reduce((acc, p, i) => {
+        if (typeof p === "number") {
+          return `${acc}[${p}]`;
+        }
+        return i === 0 ? p : `${acc}.${p}`;
+      }, "");
+      message = `${pathString}: ${cause.message}`;
+    }
+
+    super(message);
+    this.path = path;
+    this.cause = cause;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/schema/schema.ts b/src/schema/schema.ts
index bae4067..cb516f4 100644
--- a/src/schema/schema.ts
+++ b/src/schema/schema.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import type { Projection } from "../collection/types/query-options";
 import { detectProjection } from "../collection/utils/projection";
+import { MonarchParseError } from "../errors";
 import { objectId } from "../types/objectId";
 import { type AnyMonarchType, MonarchType } from "../types/type";
 import type { Pretty, WithOptionalId } from "../utils/type-helpers";
@@ -114,10 +115,17 @@ export class Schema<
     // parse fields
     const types = Schema.types(schema);
     for (const [key, type] of Object.entries(types)) {
-      const parser = MonarchType.parser(type as AnyMonarchType);
-      const parsed = parser(input[key as keyof InferSchemaInput<T>]);
-      if (parsed === undefined) continue;
-      data[key as keyof typeof data] = parsed;
+      try {
+        const parser = MonarchType.parser(type as AnyMonarchType);
+        const parsed = parser(input[key as keyof InferSchemaInput<T>]);
+        if (parsed === undefined) continue;
+        data[key as keyof typeof data] = parsed;
+      } catch (error) {
+        if (error instanceof MonarchParseError) {
+          throw new MonarchParseError({ path: key, error });
+        }
+        throw error;
+      }
     }
     return data;
   }
diff --git a/src/types/array.ts b/src/types/array.ts
index bfe223f..bcdb8e3 100644
--- a/src/types/array.ts
+++ b/src/types/array.ts
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ export class MonarchArray<T extends AnyMonarchType> extends MonarchType<InferTyp
           parsed[index] = parser(value);
         } catch (error) {
           if (error instanceof MonarchParseError) {
-            throw new MonarchParseError(`element at index '${index}' ${error.message}`);
+            throw new MonarchParseError({ path: index, error });
           }
           throw error;
         }
diff --git a/src/types/object.ts b/src/types/object.ts
index ac99a3d..0d1855c 100644
--- a/src/types/object.ts
+++ b/src/types/object.ts
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ export class MonarchObject<T extends Record<string, AnyMonarchType>> extends Mon
             parsed[key as keyof typeof parsed] = parser(input[key as keyof typeof input] as InferTypeInput<T[keyof T]>);
           } catch (error) {
             if (error instanceof MonarchParseError) {
-              throw new MonarchParseError(`field '${key}' ${error.message}'`);
+              throw new MonarchParseError({ path: key, error });
             }
             throw error;
           }
diff --git a/src/types/objectId.ts b/src/types/objectId.ts
index d67b741..bd77929 100644
--- a/src/types/objectId.ts
+++ b/src/types/objectId.ts
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export class MonarchObjectId extends MonarchType<ObjectId | string, ObjectId> {
   constructor() {
     super((input) => {
       if (ObjectId.isValid(input)) return new ObjectId(input);
-      throw new MonarchParseError(`expected valid ObjectId received '${typeof input}' ${input}`);
+      throw new MonarchParseError(`expected 'ObjectId' received '${typeof input}' ${input}`);
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/types/record.ts b/src/types/record.ts
index 77abdc3..1d340f2 100644
--- a/src/types/record.ts
+++ b/src/types/record.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ export class MonarchRecord<T extends AnyMonarchType> extends MonarchType<
             parsed[key] = parser(value);
           } catch (error) {
             if (error instanceof MonarchParseError) {
-              throw new MonarchParseError(`field '${key}' ${error.message}'`);
+              throw new MonarchParseError({ path: key, error });
             }
             throw error;
           }
diff --git a/src/types/tuple.ts b/src/types/tuple.ts
index 1f00d8b..3a96cc8 100644
--- a/src/types/tuple.ts
+++ b/src/types/tuple.ts
@@ -23,7 +23,9 @@ export class MonarchTuple<T extends [AnyMonarchType, ...AnyMonarchType[]]> exten
     super((input) => {
       if (Array.isArray(input)) {
         if (input.length !== types.length) {
-          throw new MonarchParseError(`expected array with ${types.length} elements received ${input.length} elements`);
+          throw new MonarchParseError(
+            `expected 'array' with ${types.length} elements received ${input.length} elements`,
+          );
         }
         const parsed = [] as InferTypeTupleOutput<T>;
         for (const [index, type] of types.entries()) {
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ export class MonarchTuple<T extends [AnyMonarchType, ...AnyMonarchType[]]> exten
             parsed[index] = parser(input[index]);
           } catch (error) {
             if (error instanceof MonarchParseError) {
-              throw new MonarchParseError(`element at index '${index}' ${error.message}`);
+              throw new MonarchParseError({ path: index, error });
             }
             throw error;
           }
diff --git a/src/types/union.ts b/src/types/union.ts
index deffb90..7c57996 100644
--- a/src/types/union.ts
+++ b/src/types/union.ts
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ export class MonarchUnion<T extends [AnyMonarchType, ...AnyMonarchType[]]> exten
           throw error;
         }
       }
-      throw new MonarchParseError(`expected one of union variants but received '${typeof input}'`);
+      throw new MonarchParseError(`expected 'union' variant received '${typeof input}'`);
     });
   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/query/insert-find.test.ts b/tests/query/insert-find.test.ts
index 73dac97..844118e 100644
--- a/tests/query/insert-find.test.ts
+++ b/tests/query/insert-find.test.ts
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ describe("Insert and Find Operations", async () => {
     it("rejects invalid ObjectId string", async () => {
       await expect(async () => {
         await collections.users.insertOne({ _id: "not_an_object_id", ...mockUsers[0] });
-      }).rejects.toThrowError("expected valid ObjectId received");
+      }).rejects.toThrowError("expected 'ObjectId'");
     });
 
     it("inserts empty document with default values", async () => {
diff --git a/tests/types/array.test.ts b/tests/types/array.test.ts
index abee365..05fb04d 100644
--- a/tests/types/array.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/array.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { Schema, createSchema } from "../../src";
 import { array, number, string } from "../../src/types";
 
-describe("array()", () => {
+describe("array", () => {
   test("validates array type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       items: array(number()),
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ describe("array()", () => {
     expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { items: [] })).not.toThrowError();
     // @ts-expect-error
     expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { items: [0, "1"] })).toThrowError(
-      "element at index '1' expected 'number' received 'string'",
+      "items[1]: expected 'number' received 'string'",
     );
     const data = Schema.encode(schema, { items: [0, 1] });
     expect(data).toStrictEqual({ items: [0, 1] });
diff --git a/tests/types/binary.test.ts b/tests/types/binary.test.ts
index 76876d0..b470ef3 100644
--- a/tests/types/binary.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/binary.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createDatabase, createSchema, Schema } from "../../src";
 import { binary } from "../../src/types";
 import { createMockDatabase } from "../mock";
 
-describe("binary()", () => {
+describe("binary", () => {
   test("validates Binary type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       data: binary(),
diff --git a/tests/types/boolean.test.ts b/tests/types/boolean.test.ts
index f61f99a..5e4ddce 100644
--- a/tests/types/boolean.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/boolean.test.ts
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { Schema, createSchema } from "../../src";
 import { boolean } from "../../src/types";
 
-describe("boolean()", () => {
+describe("boolean", () => {
   test("validates boolean type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       isActive: boolean(),
diff --git a/tests/types/decimal128.test.ts b/tests/types/decimal128.test.ts
index 70d50f0..9bc91f5 100644
--- a/tests/types/decimal128.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/decimal128.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createDatabase, createSchema, Schema } from "../../src";
 import { decimal128 } from "../../src/types";
 import { createMockDatabase } from "../mock";
 
-describe("decimal128()", () => {
+describe("decimal128", () => {
   test("validates Decimal128 type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       value: decimal128(),
diff --git a/tests/types/long.test.ts b/tests/types/long.test.ts
index da2101a..8278126 100644
--- a/tests/types/long.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/long.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createDatabase, createSchema, Schema } from "../../src";
 import { long } from "../../src/types";
 import { createMockDatabase } from "../mock";
 
-describe("long()", () => {
+describe("long", () => {
   test("validates Long type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       value: long(),
diff --git a/tests/types/object.test.ts b/tests/types/object.test.ts
index fa0023a..39ba9f5 100644
--- a/tests/types/object.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/object.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { describe, expect, test } from "vitest";
 import { Schema, createSchema } from "../../src";
-import { boolean, literal, object } from "../../src/types";
+import { array, boolean, literal, number, object, string } from "../../src/types";
 
 describe("object", () => {
   test("object", () => {
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@ describe("object", () => {
     expect(() =>
       // @ts-expect-error
       Schema.encode(schema, { permissions: { canUpdate: "yes" } }),
-    ).toThrowError("field 'canUpdate' expected 'boolean' received 'string'");
+    ).toThrowError("permissions.canUpdate: expected 'boolean' received 'string'");
     // fields are validates in the order they are registered in type
     expect(() =>
       // @ts-expect-error
       Schema.encode(schema, { permissions: { role: false } }),
-    ).toThrowError("field 'canUpdate' expected 'boolean' received 'undefined'");
+    ).toThrowError("permissions.canUpdate: expected 'boolean' received 'undefined'");
     // unknwon fields are rejected
     expect(() =>
       Schema.encode(schema, {
@@ -37,4 +37,40 @@ describe("object", () => {
       permissions: { canUpdate: true, canDelete: false, role: "moderator" },
     });
   });
+
+  test("nested object", () => {
+    const schema = createSchema("test", {
+      user: object({
+        name: string(),
+        profile: object({
+          age: number(),
+          tags: array(string()),
+        }),
+      }),
+    });
+
+    // nested object field error
+    expect(() =>
+      Schema.encode(schema, {
+        // @ts-expect-error
+        user: { name: "John", profile: { age: "thirty", tags: [] } },
+      }),
+    ).toThrowError("user.profile.age: expected 'number' received 'string'");
+
+    // nested array element error
+    expect(() =>
+      Schema.encode(schema, {
+        // @ts-expect-error
+        user: { name: "John", profile: { age: 30, tags: ["valid", 123] } },
+      }),
+    ).toThrowError("user.profile.tags[1]: expected 'string' received 'number'");
+
+    // valid data
+    const data = Schema.encode(schema, {
+      user: { name: "John", profile: { age: 30, tags: ["developer", "typescript"] } },
+    });
+    expect(data).toStrictEqual({
+      user: { name: "John", profile: { age: 30, tags: ["developer", "typescript"] } },
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/tests/types/objectid.test.ts b/tests/types/objectid.test.ts
index d44cd94..b037313 100644
--- a/tests/types/objectid.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/objectid.test.ts
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { createDatabase, createSchema, Schema } from "../../src";
 import { objectId } from "../../src/types";
 import { createMockDatabase } from "../mock";
 
-describe("objectId()", () => {
+describe("objectId", () => {
   test("validates ObjectId type", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("test", {
       id: objectId(),
@@ -32,9 +32,9 @@ describe("objectId()", () => {
       id: objectId(),
     });
 
-    expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { id: "invalid" })).toThrowError("expected valid ObjectId");
+    expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { id: "invalid" })).toThrowError("expected 'ObjectId'");
     // @ts-expect-error
-    expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { id: {} })).toThrowError("expected valid ObjectId");
+    expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { id: {} })).toThrowError("expected 'ObjectId'");
   });
 
   test("works with nullable and optional", () => {
diff --git a/tests/types/record.test.ts b/tests/types/record.test.ts
index 6a93c4f..9c7caf6 100644
--- a/tests/types/record.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/record.test.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ describe("record", () => {
     expect(() =>
       // @ts-expect-error
       Schema.encode(schema, { grades: { math: "50" } }),
-    ).toThrowError("field 'math' expected 'number' received 'string'");
+    ).toThrowError("grades.math: expected 'number' received 'string'");
     const data = Schema.encode(schema, { grades: { math: 50 } });
     expect(data).toStrictEqual({ grades: { math: 50 } });
   });
diff --git a/tests/types/tuple.test.ts b/tests/types/tuple.test.ts
index 81557ca..95debc5 100644
--- a/tests/types/tuple.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/tuple.test.ts
@@ -12,13 +12,17 @@ describe("tuple", () => {
     expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, {})).toThrowError("expected 'array' received 'undefined'");
     // @ts-expect-error
     expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { items: [] })).toThrowError(
-      "expected array with 2 elements received 0 elements",
+      "expected 'array' with 2 elements received 0 elements",
     );
     const data = Schema.encode(schema, { items: [0, "1"] });
     expect(data).toStrictEqual({ items: [0, "1"] });
     // @ts-expect-error
+    expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { items: [0, 1] })).toThrowError(
+      "items[1]: expected 'string' received 'number'",
+    );
+    // @ts-expect-error
     expect(() => Schema.encode(schema, { items: [1, "1", 2] })).toThrowError(
-      "expected array with 2 elements received 3 elements",
+      "expected 'array' with 2 elements received 3 elements",
     );
   });
 });
diff --git a/tests/types/type.test.ts b/tests/types/type.test.ts
index 2169d9f..2fb7362 100644
--- a/tests/types/type.test.ts
+++ b/tests/types/type.test.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ import { pipe, type } from "../../src/types";
 const simpleString = () => type<string>((input) => input);
 const simpleNumber = () => type<number>((input) => input);
 
-describe("type()", () => {
+describe("type", () => {
   it("validates and transforms input", () => {
     const schema = createSchema("users", {
       age: simpleNumber()