Slang meaning
What does TIL mean?
TIL stands for “today I learned.” People put it in front of a fact they have just discovered, usually something small, odd or surprising.
Updated 6 October 2026
TIL means “today I learned”: it opens a fact or discovery you have just come across.
What TIL can mean
1. Sharing something new you learned
The main meaning: “TIL octopuses have three hearts.” The fact comes straight after, and the tone is curious, not teacherly. Because it implies the writer didn't know it either, it is a friendly way to share trivia.
2. A joke about something obvious or personal
People also use it ironically: “TIL I can't fold a fitted sheet” or “TIL you can't microwave a metal spoon”. The “discovery” is something embarrassing or already well known, and the humour is in the pretend surprise.
3. Short for until
Written as “til” or “'til”, it is a casual way of writing “until”, as in “open til 9”. In capitals, on its own, it normally means today I learned.
How people use it on Instagram and Facebook
Captions and carousels
Creators use it for fact posts and quick lessons: “TIL how the tide tables work”. It sets up a slide with the answer, so the first line has to be interesting.
Facebook posts and groups
Common in hobby groups, where someone writes TIL and a tip they have just learned, such as a plant-care trick or a cooking shortcut. Other members add their own TILs in the comments.
Comments and DMs
A short “TIL” or “til that's a thing” is a polite reaction to something you didn't know. It says thanks without a long reply.
TIL in real conversations
- CaptionTIL you can regrow spring onions from the white bit. I've had a jar on the windowsill all week.
- Instagram commenttil the green light means go in france toowait, where did you think it didn't?
- Direct messagetil you can pause a Reel by holding ityou've never done that??
- Facebook commentTIL charging my phone overnight isn't the problem I thought it was. Did you all know this?
How to reply to TIL
Where it comes from
The phrase is widely tied to Reddit, where the r/todayilearned community popularised “TIL” as the opening of a fact post. From there the abbreviation spread to other platforms.
Questions people ask
What is the difference between TIL and fun fact?
A fun fact is something you tell people. TIL is something you have just found out yourself, so it comes with a bit of surprise. Fact posts often use either.
Does TIL always mean something true?
No. The abbreviation says that someone learned it, not that it is correct. Check the claim before you share it, especially when a post doesn't link to a source.
Is “til” the same as TIL?
The letters match, so you read the context. “Open til 9” means until. “TIL there's a second floor” means today I learned. If it comes before a fact, it is the second one.
Can a business use TIL in posts?
Yes, it suits educational content. Pick something your customers would actually find useful, and say where the fact comes from if it is a claim that someone could challenge.
Related slang
- FYIFor your information: a heads-up that passes on a useful fact, and sometimes a pointed way to correct someone.
- TMIShort for “too much information”: a reaction to an overshare, or a heads-up that one is coming.
- IIRCA hedge meaning “if I recall correctly”: the writer is going on memory and admits they might be wrong.
- AFAIKAFAIK means “as far as I know”: a hedge that marks a statement as the writer’s best understanding, not a guarantee.
- TL;DR“Too long; didn't read”: once a complaint about long posts, now mostly a label for a quick summary of one.
- IKRIKR means “I know, right?”: a quick, enthusiastic way of agreeing with something someone just said.
More slang meanings
Reply to every comment and DM, whatever they write
DMFast answers the comments and messages you set up in seconds, day and night, on Instagram and Facebook. Free plan, no card.
Start free