The first examples of amido phosphine complexes of zinc have been prepared. Addition of N-(2-diphenylphosphinophenyl)-2,6-diisopropylaniline (H[NP]) to ZnMe2 or ZnEt2 in diethyl ether at -35 degreesC generated the monomeric, three-coordinate [NP]ZnR (R = Me, Et), while the metathesis reaction of ZnCl2 with [NP]Li-(THF)(2) in diethyl ether at -35 degreesC produced homoleptic [NP](2)Zn.