Tapas are the small plates of food that come with drinks in Spain — olives, ham, little fried things, a few prawns, some potatoes in sauce. The point is not one big meal but many small dishes shared around a table, often standing up in a bar, often across a whole evening moving from bar to bar.

Tapas are the small plates of foodTapas(西班牙下酒小菜)是那種一小盤一小盤的食物 that come with drinks in Spain在西班牙是配著飲料一起上的 — olives, ham, little fried things, a few prawns, some potatoes in sauce——像橄欖、火腿、炸物、幾隻蝦子、還有淋醬的馬鈴薯。 The point is not one big meal重點不是吃一頓大餐 but many small dishes shared around a table而是一桌人分享很多道小菜， often standing up in a bar常常是站在酒吧裡吃， often across a whole evening moving from bar to bar常常一整晚從一家酒吧晃到另一家。

In English the word is nearly always plural, and it takes a plural verb: 'the tapas were good'. It is also used before another noun — a tapas bar, a tapas menu.

In English the word is nearly always plural在英文裡這個字幾乎都是複數， and it takes a plural verb動詞也要用複數的形式： 'the tapas were good'像'the tapas were good'(這些tapas很好吃)。 It is also used before another noun它也可以放在另一個名詞前面 — a tapas bar, a tapas menu——像a tapas bar(tapas酒吧)、a tapas menu(tapas菜單)。

English speakers sometimes stretch it to any restaurant serving small shared plates, even ones with nothing Spanish about them, which a Spanish person might raise an eyebrow at. You will hear the singular 'a tapa' in Spain, but hardly ever in English.

English speakers sometimes stretch it說英文的人有時候會把這個字用得更寬 to any restaurant serving small shared plates拿來指任何一家供應小份分享菜的餐廳， even ones with nothing Spanish about them就算跟西班牙一點關係都沒有， which a Spanish person might raise an eyebrow at這樣用可能會讓西班牙人皺一下眉頭。 You will hear the singular 'a tapa' in Spain在西班牙你會聽到單數的'a tapa'， but hardly ever in English但在英文裡幾乎不會聽到。