Dual clutch transmission for a motor vehicle, comprising gear sets which can be shifted by shift elements and which form precisely eight gear stages (RE-1 to RE-8) arranged in the axial direction from the input side to the output side of the dual clutch transmission in the order first to eighth, which each belong to a first sub-transmission and a second sub-transmission, of which the first sub-transmission comprises a first input shaft and the second sub-transmission comprises a second input shaft, and both sub-transmissions (A, B) comprise a common output shaft, wherein the coaxial input shafts (22, 23) can be activated in alternation via respective power-shiftable clutches (K1, K2), and wherein the even forward gears (2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12) belong to the first sub-transmission and the odd forward gears (1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11) belong to the second sub-transmission, which during a gearshift can be shifted by means of shift elements (SE-A to SE-G), wherein the first sub-transmission comprises at least the first, second and third gear stage (RE-1, RE-2, RE-3), each gear stage (RE-1, RE-2, RE-3) of which is formed from a drive-side gear (27, 30, 33) mounted coaxial to the input shaft (22, 23) and an output-side gear (28, 32, 34) mounted coaxial to the output shaft, wherein the output shaft comprises a first shift element (SE-F) that is shiftable on both sides in the axial direction, by means of which the first, second and third gear stage (RE-1, RE-2, RE-3) of the first sub-transmission can be coupled to or uncoupled from the output shaft, and wherein the output-side gears (28, 32, 34) of the first to third gear stages (RE-1, RE-2, RE-3) are rotatably mounted loosely on the output-side output shaft, and wherein, in the axial direction of the first shift element (SE-F), on one side a drive-side idler gear of the third gear stage (RE-3) is arranged mounted on the output shaft, and on the other side of the first shift element (SE-F) an output-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission is arranged coaxially mounted on the output shaft, which can be coupled in alternation to the output shaft by means of the first shift element (SE-F), and wherein the output-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission carries, rotationally fixed, the output-side gears (28, 32) of the first and second gear stage (RE-1, RE-2), characterised in that the first sub-transmission comprises a fourth gear stage (RE-4), of which the output-side gear is arranged rotationally fixed on the output shaft, and in that the first input shaft of the first sub-transmission comprises exactly one second shift element (SE-C) acting on both sides in the axial direction, and in that, by means of the second shift element (SE-C), the first input shaft can be coupled to or uncoupled from all of the gear stages (RE-1 to RE-4) of the first sub-transmission, in that, in the axial direction, a drive-side idler gear of the first gear stage (RE-1), mounted on the first input shaft and a drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission mounted coaxially on the first input shaft, are respectively arranged on both sides of the second shift element (SE-C), and in that the idler gear of the first gear stage (RE-1) and the drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission can be coupled, in alternation, to the first input shaft via the second shift element (SE-C), and in that the drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission carries fixed gears (30, 33) of the second and third gear stages (RE-2, RE-3), in that a drive-side gear of the fourth gear stage (RE-4) is loosely mounted on the drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission, and in that the drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission comprises a third shift element (SE-D), by means of which the loosely mounted drive-side gear of the fourth gear stage (RE-4) can be coupled to the drive-side hollow shaft of the first sub-transmission, in that the second sub-transmission comprises a fifth gear stage (RE-5) directly adjacent to the first sub-transmission in the axial direction, and in that the fifth gear stage (RE-5) can be coupled to the first sub-transmission by means of a third shift element (SE-D), and in that the output-side gear of the fifth gear stage (RE-5) is loosely mounted on the output shaft and can be coupled to the output shaft by means of a seventh shift element (SE-G).