The optical properties of AgGaGe3Se8 single crystals doped with Cu, In, and Sn atoms have been studied. A physical model is proposed for those compounds, which are wide-gap semiconductors (≈ 2.09-2.15 eV at = 300 K) with the-type conductivity, and whose optical parameters depend on the dopant nature and concentration. On the basis of this model and making allowance for specific features of disordered systems, the obtained experimental results are explained. K e y w o r d s: chalcogenide crystals, optical properties, Urbach energy.