Is it possible to devise an automatic procedure that could become part of an MAT programme and at the same time be used independently by a human translator? The present paper is an attempt to deal with a specific problem in lexical transfer: translating English and Spanish verbs into French. Through a systematic investigation of verbal contexts (valency-frames, word meanings) semantic classes are empirically defined and common semantic labels assigned to lexical units associated with each target-equivalent of the source verb. A tentative list of such classes is being drawn up. It is assumed that the semantic class of a subject and/or object (possibly adjunct) lexical unit can help find out the adequate translation of the source verb. Semantico-cognitive descriptors thus become part of the transfer-dictionary decision making. Being more especially based on lexical verb/valency associations, such a dictionary might also be of some help to a human translator.