All cellular proteins are synthesized by the ribosome, an intricate molecular machine that translates the information of protein coding genes into the amino acid alphabet. The linear polypeptides synthesized by the ribosome must generally fold into specific three-dimensional structures to become biologically active. Folding has long been recognized to begin before synthesis is complete. Recently, biochemical and biophysical studies have shed light onto how the ribosome shapes the folding pathways of nascent proteins. Here, we discuss recent progress that is beginning to define the role of the ribosome in the folding of newly synthesized polypeptides. Display omitted •Folding is a crucial step in the biogenesis of functional proteins.•Interactions with the ribosome guide nascent polypeptide folding.•Recent experimental work is beginning to shed light on mechanisms by which the ribosome modulates protein folding.