diff --git a/src/JsonPath.php b/src/JsonPath.php
index de4d5bc..4ccf98b 100644
--- a/src/JsonPath.php
+++ b/src/JsonPath.php
@@ -16,18 +16,38 @@ public function __construct(private $query)
 	public function find($json)
 	{
 		$result_node_list = run($json, $this->root_node);
-		return array_map(fn(Node $node) => $node->value, $result_node_list);
+		return array_map(fn (Node $node) => $node->value, $result_node_list);
+	}
+
+	protected function convert_path_segment_to_string($segment)
+	{
+		if (is_string($segment)) {
+			if ($segment === '$') {
+				return $segment;
+			}
+			return "['{$segment}']";
+		}
+		return "[{$segment}]";
 	}
 
 	public function paths($json)
 	{
 		$result_node_list = run($json, $this->root_node);
 		return array_map(
-			fn(Node $node) => [
+			fn (Node $node) => [
 				'value' => $node->value,
-				'path' => $node->path,
+				'path' => implode(array_map(fn ($segment) => $this->convert_path_segment_to_string($segment), $node->path)),
 			],
 			$result_node_list,
 		);
 	}
+
+	public function pathSegments($json)
+	{
+		$result_node_list = run($json, $this->root_node);
+		return array_map(fn (Node $node) => [
+			'value' => $node->value,
+			'segments' => array_slice($node->path, 1)
+		], $result_node_list);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/src/parser.php b/src/parser.php
index f732e88..b56eefe 100644
--- a/src/parser.php
+++ b/src/parser.php
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@
 
 function run($json, $query): array
 {
-	$root_node = create_node($json, '$');
+	$root_node = create_node($json, ['$']);
 	return apply_root($query, $root_node);
 }
diff --git a/src/types/node.php b/src/types/node.php
index f116422..7b7c939 100644
--- a/src/types/node.php
+++ b/src/types/node.php
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@
 
 class Node
 {
-	public function __construct(public mixed $value, public string $path) {}
+	public function __construct(public mixed $value, public array $path)
+	{
+	}
 }
 
-function create_node(mixed $json, string $path): Node
+function create_node(mixed $json, array $path): Node
 {
 	return new Node($json, $path);
 }
@@ -18,12 +20,12 @@ function add_member_path(Node $base, mixed $new_value, string $member_name): Nod
 {
 	$escaped_member_name = escape_member_name($member_name);
 
-	return create_node($new_value, "{$base->path}['{$escaped_member_name}']");
+	return create_node($new_value, [...$base->path, $escaped_member_name]);
 }
 
 function add_index_path(Node $base, mixed $new_value, int $index): Node
 {
-	return create_node($new_value, "{$base->path}[{$index}]");
+	return create_node($new_value, [...$base->path, $index]);
 }
 
 function is_node($node)
diff --git a/tests/utils/TraverseDescendantTest.php b/tests/utils/TraverseDescendantTest.php
index c53f1e2..7ee3567 100644
--- a/tests/utils/TraverseDescendantTest.php
+++ b/tests/utils/TraverseDescendantTest.php
@@ -3,25 +3,26 @@
 declare(strict_types=1);
 
 use Loilo\JsonPath\Node;
+
 use function Loilo\JsonPath\create_node;
 use function Loilo\JsonPath\traverse_descendant;
 
 describe('traverseDescendant', function () {
 	test('empty object traverses empty', function () {
-		$node = create_node((object) [], '');
+		$node = create_node((object) [], []);
 		expect(
 			array_map(
-				fn(Node $node) => $node->value,
+				fn (Node $node) => $node->value,
 				traverse_descendant($node),
 			),
 		)->toEqual([(object) []]);
 	});
 
 	test('nested arrays traverse correctly', function () {
-		$node = create_node([[[1]], [2]], '');
+		$node = create_node([[[1]], [2]], []);
 		expect(
 			array_map(
-				fn(Node $node) => $node->value,
+				fn (Node $node) => $node->value,
 				traverse_descendant($node),
 			),
 		)->toEqual([[[[1]], [2]], [[1]], [1], 1, [2], 2]);