A process for preparing N,N-dihydrocarbylhydroxylamines of the general formula (I) ##STR00001## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are selected independently from among hydrogen, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic, heteroaromatic and aromatic radicals, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 and/or R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are joined to form a ring, and not more than one radical among R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 is hydrogen, which comprises the steps a) reaction of hydroxylamine H.sub.2NOH or a salt of hydroxylamine with a compound of the general formula (II) or (III) ##STR00002## where R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are as defined in formula (I), b) hydrogenation of the compound formed in step a) in the presence of a catalyst, c) further reaction of the compound formed in step b) with a compound of the general formula (II) or (III) and hydrogenation of the reaction mixture in the presence of a catalyst and d), if appropriate, reaction of the salt of the dihydrocarbylhydroxylamine formed in step c) with a base.