Using data from a Swedish children's hospital, this study discusses the ambiguous doctor-patient conversational opening of “How are you” (HAY) as routine casual greeting and health problem elicitation. A double ambiguity exists as to who is addressed, children and/or their parents, when the doctor uses third person pronouns or second person plurals. Responses greatly vary according to the children's age, with preschool children rarely responding and schoolchildren always responding in detail.