óbeinu

óbeinu is a transliteration variant of the Hebrew word Avinu, meaning “our father.” It derives from the root av, meaning father, combined with the inclusive suffix -inu, yielding “our father.” In transliteration, diacritical marks like the acute on the initial o are sometimes used to indicate pronunciation in non-Hebrew texts, but standard transliterations most often render the term as Avinu.

In Jewish usage, Avinu is a common form of direct address to God in prayer and liturgy. Its most well-known instance is Avinu Malkeinu, “Our Father, Our King,” a central supplication recited during the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) and in some communities at other times. The term appears in various liturgical poems and piyyutim, where God is addressed as a paternal figure. Beyond addressing God, the phrase can also appear in homiletic or liturgical contexts referring to biblical figures described as fathers, such as Abraham, in phrases like Avinu Avraham in certain readings.

The use of Avinu conveys a relational, intimate tone, emphasizing the parent–child dynamic between worshippers and the divine. This form of address is widely recognized across Jewish traditions, though transliterations and pronunciation may vary among Ashkenazi, Sephardi, and Mizrahi communities.