What YTS Means on TikTok and Why People Are Connecting It to Costco

YTS became a viral three-letter abbreviation on TikTok in late July 2025 after allegedly being spotted on a sign outside an establishment next to a Costco. TikTok users quickly clarified that it wasn’t at Costco, but next to it, and that the abbreviation carries a pretty negative connotation. In fact, it’s considered a racial slur.

But the truth is, YTS actually has two different meanings on TikTok, and one of them isn’t bad. It all comes down to whether it’s written as YTS or YTs (yes, that lowercase “s” makes a huge difference!).

First, let’s break down what it means in relation to the viral sign spotted near Costco, and then get into the other ways it’s being used on social media.

YTs is a racial slur for white people, pronounced “whities.” If you sound out the letters phonetically, you get “Y-tees” or “whities.” The abbreviation became a trending topic on TikTok in July 2025 after it was allegedly spotted on a sign posted outside an establishment next to a Costco that read “YTs First.”

TikToker @hinamarieawk is reportedly the person who discovered the sign, tore it down, and posted about it, and it’s been gaining attention ever since. While the original video no longer appears to be up, she’s been receiving tons of attention in the comments of her other posts, and several users have praised her in their own videos for taking the sign down.

While the story has shined a light on racism in America, which is still very much alive, it has also sparked tons of confusion among TikTok users who aren’t up to speed on what “YTs” actually means. But now that you know the backstory and what YTs means (lowercase “s”!), just know it’s not being used in a kind context if you come across it outside of content related to the Costco sign ordeal.

While you don't want to be caught dead using “YTs” in any of your posts (or liking any that might be using it), unless you're explicitly talking about the sign next to Costco that allegedly read “YTs First,” YTS on TikTok (with a capital “S”) holds an entirely different meaning.

So don’t be so quick to assume someone is throwing around a racial slur if you see it in a caption or text overlay.

YTS (with a capital “S”) on TikTok is actually an acronym for “you’re too slow” and is a commonly used abbreviation, especially among Gen Z and younger users. You might use YTS in a video where everyone finishes something before you, leaving you as the last one done, like an assignment, which TikToker @el_juanca5 did, or in other content where you’re calling out someone for being slow at something.

It’s just a quicker way to say “you’re too slow” without having to spell it all out.