Avinu

Avinu is a Hebrew term that translates to "our father." It functions as a vocative form used to address God in Jewish prayer and liturgy, signaling a relationship described in theological and devotional contexts as intimate and communal.

Linguistically, Avinu is formed from the Hebrew word av, meaning father, with the first-person plural possessive suffix -enu, producing "our father." In Hebrew pronunciation, it is typically rendered as av-ee-nu. The term appears in liturgical texts and religious poetry, where it begins or features prominently in supplications.

The most famous usage is in Avinu Malkeinu, the prayer commonly translated as "Our Father, Our King." This supplication is recited on fast days, during the period surrounding the High Holidays, and on other solemn occasions. Beyond this central prayer, Avinu appears in various other liturgical compositions and piyyutim, often invoking themes of repentance, mercy, and divine governance. Its use reflects a recurring biblical and rabbinic motif: addressing God in a parental, protective, and communal frame.

In modern contexts, Avinu mainly resides within religious language and education. It can appear in Hebrew phrases within prayers, religious writings, and sometimes in the names of institutions or devotional literature that emphasize traditional Jewish prayer life. Overall, Avinu remains a concise but enduring expression of the Jewish sense of divine fatherhood and collective supplication.