Mexican Independence Day: Joining in 'Grito' shouts in a town square
Get Full LessonPractice pronunciation and master this lesson with smart-repetition via the PrettyFluent App
Key Phrases
¿A qué hora es el Grito?
What time is the Grito?
Gritamos tres veces «¡Viva México!»
We shout 'Long live Mexico!' three times
Muchas gracias por su ayuda
Thank you very much for your help
Skills You'll Learn
Asking about schedules and cultural events
Preguntar sobre horarios y eventos culturales
Participating in a Mexican tradition using festive expressions
Participar en una tradición mexicana usando expresiones festivas
Expressing gratitude formally
Expresar agradecimiento de manera formal
Lesson Roleplay
Imagine you're in a big crowd in Mexico City on Independence Night. You want to learn what to shout during the celebration.
Disculpe, buenas noches. ¿A qué hora es el Grito?
Excuse me, good evening. What time is the Grito?
Buenas noches. A las once, desde el balcón.
Good evening. At eleven, from the balcony.
Es mi primera vez. ¿Qué tengo que gritar?
It's my first time. What do I have to shout?
Dicen nombres de héroes, y todos contestamos «¡Viva!».
They say the names of heroes, and we all answer "Viva!"
¿Y al final?
And at the end?
Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases
Disculpe, buenas noches.
dees-KOOL-peh BWEH-nahs NOH-chehs
Excuse me, good evening.
🇲🇽 Opening with disculpe before asking a stranger anything is the polite norm in Mexico. Jumping straight to the question can feel abrupt.
See breakdown →¿A qué hora es el Grito?
ah keh OH-rah ess el GREE-toh
What time is the Grito?
🇲🇽 The Grito is the mayor's or governor's reenactment of Hidalgo's 1810 call to arms, shouted from the town hall balcony on the night of September 15th, not the 16th.
See breakdown →A las once
ah lahs OHN-seh
At eleven
💬 Clock times use a las plus the number because hora "hour" is understood. Only one o'clock changes: a la una.
See breakdown →El balcón
el bahl-KOHN
The balcony
Desde el balcón
DEHS-deh el bahl-KOHN
From the balcony
A las once, desde el balcón.
ah lahs OHN-seh DEHS-deh el bahl-KOHN
At eleven, from the balcony.
Es mi primera vez.
ess mee pree-MEH-rah behs
It's my first time.
💬 vez "time" counts occasions, while hora and tiempo are clock time and time in general. So it's primera vez, never primer tiempo.
See breakdown →¿Qué tengo que gritar?
keh TEHN-goh keh gree-TAHR
What do I have to shout?
💬 tengo que plus a basic verb means "I have to." Swap in any action: tengo que pagar "I have to pay."
See breakdown →Nombres de héroes
NOHM-brehs deh EH-roh-ehs
Names of heroes
🇲🇽 The leader calls out heroes like Hidalgo, Morelos and Josefa Ortiz de Domínguez, and the crowd answers each name with ¡Viva!.
See breakdown →Learn this vocabulary list the easy way
Get PrettyFluent for smart practice & lasting retention
More from "Mexican Independence Day"
Similar Mexican Spanish Lessons
Family history and her childhood
Chat with my grandmother from Mexico
Food and recipes
Chat with my grandmother from Mexico
Daily life and hobbies
Chat with my grandmother from Mexico
Mexico destinations
Popular Destination Names
Asking about schedule of processions
Semana Santa
Expressing awe at weight of religious floats
Semana Santa
Get the Full Learning Experience
This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.
Pronunciation Feedback
AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud
Spaced Repetition
Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice
Immersive Roleplaying
Practice real conversations with AI partners
Lessons for Your Situation
Request lessons tailored to your specific needs
Get Full LessonWhat Learners Are Saying
“Moved to Mexico City for work and needed to get conversational fast. Two weeks of daily practice and I was ordering tacos and negotiating with my landlord in Spanish.”
David K., 35, Startup Founder
“I spent a month backpacking through Colombia and this app was a lifesaver. The lessons meant I could handle real situations from day one.”
Rachel T., 26, Travel Blogger
“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”
Alex M., 42, Software Engineer