Βασικά θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε, όχι να βγω έξω.

Βασικά literally means basically.

In this sentence, it works just like English basically at the beginning of a statement: it softens or summarizes what the speaker really wants.

So it can give the idea of:

• Basically, I want to rest tonight
• What I really want is to rest tonight
• At the end of the day, I just want to rest tonight

In everyday Greek, βασικά is very common in speech.

Because after θέλω meaning I want, Greek normally uses να + a verb form.

So the pattern is:

• θέλω να... = I want to...

Examples:

• Θέλω να φύγω = I want to leave
• Θέλω να κοιμηθώ = I want to sleep
• Θέλω να ξεκουραστώ = I want to rest

English uses the infinitive to rest, but Modern Greek does not have an infinitive in this use. Instead, it uses να plus the appropriate verb form.

This is about verb form and aspect.

The dictionary form is ξεκουράζομαι = I rest / I am resting.

But after να, Greek usually chooses between different aspectual forms:

• να ξεκουράζομαι = more continuous, repeated, habitual
• να ξεκουραστώ = aorist form, meaning a single complete action or event

Here, θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε means:

• I want to get some rest tonight
• I want to rest tonight

It treats the resting as one whole event for tonight, so the aorist subjunctive ξεκουραστώ is the natural choice.

Yes, in the usual school-grammar sense, it is the form used after να.

A simple way to think about it:

• θέλω να ξεκουραστώ = I want to rest
• μπορώ να ξεκουραστώ = I can rest
• πρέπει να ξεκουραστώ = I must rest

After words like θέλω, μπορώ, πρέπει, Greek commonly uses να + this kind of verb form.

You do not need to think of it as exactly the same as the old-fashioned English subjunctive. For learners, the most useful thing is just to remember the pattern:

• θέλω να
  • verb

Απόψε means tonight.

It refers specifically to this evening / tonight, and it is a very common everyday word.

You could often replace it with:

• σήμερα το βράδυ = this evening / tonight

So:

• Θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε
• Θέλω να ξεκουραστώ σήμερα το βράδυ

Both are natural, but απόψε is shorter and very idiomatic.

Βγω comes from the verb βγαίνω, which means to go out / to come out / to get out depending on context.

This is an irregular verb, and βγω is the aorist-based form used after να here.

So:

• dictionary form: βγαίνω
• να form here: να βγω

Examples:

• Θέλω να βγω = I want to go out
• Μπορώ να βγω; = Can I go out?

This is one of those verbs you simply have to get used to, because the stem changes.

Yes, that is a very good question.

Strictly speaking, βγω already contains the idea of going out, so έξω is not always necessary.

But Greek very often says βγαίνω έξω / να βγω έξω, and it sounds completely natural. The έξω adds emphasis or makes the idea more explicit.

So both can work:

• να βγω = to go out
• να βγω έξω = to go out

In English, go out outside would sound odd, but in Greek this kind of doubling is common and normal.

Here όχι means not, but it is being used contrastively:

• I want to rest tonight, not go out

So the sentence is setting up a contrast between two options:

• να ξεκουραστώ
• να βγω έξω

A more expanded English version would be:

• Basically, I want to rest tonight, not go out
• Basically, what I want is to rest tonight, not to go out

In Greek, this is a very natural way to correct or contrast what the speaker wants.

Yes, absolutely.

Βασικά θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε, όχι να βγω is also correct and natural.

Adding έξω just makes the idea more explicit and conversational. In many everyday situations, Greek speakers include it automatically.

So:

• να βγω
• να βγω έξω

Both are fine.

The comma marks the contrast between the two ideas:

• θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε
• όχι να βγω έξω

It works a bit like a pause in English:

• Basically, I want to rest tonight, not go out.

The comma helps separate the main statement from the correction or contrast.

In speech, you would usually hear a slight pause there.

Yes, but it changes the focus.

Compare these:

• Βασικά θέλω να ξεκουραστώ απόψε, όχι να βγω έξω.
• Δεν θέλω να βγω έξω απόψε.

The first one emphasizes the positive preference:

• What I want is to rest

The second one emphasizes the negative fact:

• I don’t want to go out

So they are related, but not identical in tone.

The original sentence sounds more like the speaker is clarifying their real preference.

Yes, very natural.

It sounds like something a person would say in conversation when they want to make clear that they are tired or not in the mood for going out.

Its tone is casual and idiomatic because of words like:

• Βασικά
• απόψε
• να βγω έξω

So this is a very useful real-life sentence pattern to learn.