Abstract
This article deals with the description of the specifics of representing the semantic field of visual perception by English, German, French and Russian verb lexemes. The emphasis is on “basic” lexemes, those ones that denote the ability to perceive information visually without having the intentionality component in their semantic structure. These verb lexemes are “see,” “sehen,” “voir,” and “видеть.” Their semantic structure consists of two components: “visual perception” and “ability.” In German, a third component, “intentionality,” can also be activated, although, it changes the lexeme’s status, because it is the absence of the “intentionality” component that distinguishes the “basic” verbal predicates of visual perception from a large group of other lexemes in which this component is mandatory. In verbs like “look,” “regarder,” “watch” and others it occupies one of the central places in the seme structure of the word. This ability to have such a component can be presented implicitly or explicitly, depending on various factors, including the linguistic tradition.