english is generally spoken as a first language by almost all eurasians in singapore. a number of eurasians speak asian languages like malay, chinese (mandarin or dialect) or tamil as a second or third language. like many singaporeans, eurasians will commonly speak singlish. some of the elder generation of kristang eurasians, typically those who have a portuguese surname or are of kristang-speaking descent, speak the portuguese creole known as "cristão" or "papia kristang" (speaking kristang) – the kristang language at home and within their small community. kristang is a dying patois and is only spoken by a small minority of eurasians.