Learn Hardcore German: Ich beende den Text heute.

beenden is transitive: someone actively ends something. Example: Ich beende den Text.
enden is intransitive: something comes to an end by itself. Example: Der Text endet hier. If you can add a direct object, use beenden.

Can I move heute to other positions?

Yes. All are grammatical, with slight differences in emphasis:

Ich beende den Text heute. (neutral; time at the end)
Ich beende heute den Text. (slight focus on when)
Heute beende ich den Text. (fronted time = stronger emphasis on today) German main clauses are verb‑second, so if you front Heute, the finite verb (beende) still stays in second position.

Is the present tense here talking about the future?

Yes. German often uses the present for near or planned future actions. Ich beende den Text heute = I will finish it today. You can also use the future:

Ich werde den Text heute beenden. Future with werden can sound a bit more formal or predictive; the present is very common in everyday speech.

Is beenden a separable verb?

No. Prefix be- is inseparable.

Present: ich beende, du beendest, er beendet, wir beenden, ihr beendet, sie beenden
Perfect: ich habe den Text beendet
Simple past (less common in speech): ich beendete

Why is it beende and not beendet after ich?

Because it’s 1st person singular present: the ending is -e → ich beende. beendet is 3rd person singular or 2nd person plural: er beendet, ihr beendet.

How do I negate this?

General negation (not finishing today): Ich beende den Text heute nicht.
Contrasting the day (not today but tomorrow): Ich beende den Text nicht heute, sondern morgen. Position of nicht varies with what you’re negating; for a whole‑clause negation, it usually comes late.

What are common synonyms and their nuances?

abschließen (separable): a bit more formal/structured: Ich schließe den Text heute ab.
fertig machen (colloquial): Ich mache den Text heute fertig.
fertigstellen (formal/official): Ich stelle den Text heute fertig.
zu Ende bringen/führen (idiomatic): Ich bringe den Text heute zu Ende.
Not the same: aufhören = to stop doing something (doesn’t imply completion of the object).

How would I ask a yes/no question with this?

Invert the verb and subject (verb‑first):

Beendest du den Text heute? For a wh‑question:
Wann beendest du den Text?
Wer beendet den Text heute?

Can I drop the subject pronoun like in Spanish?

No. German is not a pro‑drop language. You must say Ich beende …, not just Beende den Text heute (unless it’s an imperative, which changes the meaning).

Can I replace den Text with a pronoun?

Yes. Since Text is masculine accusative, use ihn:

Ich beende ihn heute. With pronouns, German often prefers them earlier in the clause: Ich beende ihn heute, not Ich beende heute ihn (the latter is possible but marked).

What’s the difference between Ich beende den Text heute and Der Text endet heute?

Ich beende den Text heute: you actively finish it (agent present).
Der Text endet heute: the text itself comes to an end (no agent stated). Different verbs, different perspective.

Could I say den heute Text?

No. heute is an adverb and doesn’t modify nouns directly. If you mean today’s text, use the adjective form:

den heutigen Text = today’s text That’s a different meaning from finishing the text today.

How else can I express the idea with fertig?

A very common alternative is:

Ich bin heute mit dem Text fertig. Note: mit takes dative → dem Text (not den).

Any capitalization rules visible here?

Nouns are capitalized: Text.
heute is lowercase (adverb).
Ich is capitalized here because it starts the sentence; mid‑sentence it’s lowercase (ich), unlike formal Sie, which is always capitalized.

Pronunciation tips for the sentence?

Ich: [ɪç] (ich‑sound), often [ɪk] in some regions.
beende: three syllables [bə‑ʔɛn‑də]; the double e is pronounced separately, with a slight glottal stop before -en-.
den: long e [deːn].
heute: eu = [ɔʏ], so [ˈhɔʏtə].