The cups to tablespoons (tbsp) conversion factors are listed below. To find out how many tablespoons in cups, multiply by the right conversion factor or instead, use the converter below if converting into US tablespoons. 1 Cup [US] = 16 Tablespoons [or 24 Dessert spoons] [US] 1 Cup [Metric] = 14.08 Tablespoons [or 21.117 Dessert spoons] [UK] Cup is a volume unit and used mostly in cooking to measure liquid and bulk, dry foods. There is no international standard for cup sizes but mostly united states customary and metric cups are used, the imperial cups are out of use today.