A continuous process for preparing toluenediamine by hydrogenation of dinitrotoluene in the gas phase, which comprises the steps spraying of a dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) into a hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) in a vaporization apparatus ( 1000, 1010, 1020), where a) the temperature of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 70°C to 150°C and the temperature of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 140°C to 300°C, b) the absolute pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 3.0 bar to 30 bar and the absolute pressure of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 1.0 bar to 10 bar, where the pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is higher than that of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22), c) the molar ratio of hydrogen to DNT is from 6.0:1 to 900:1, so as to give a stream ( 3, 31, 32) comprising dinitrotoluene and hydrogen; removal or targeted decomposition of the liquid droplets present in the stream ( 3, 31, 32) comprising dinitrotoluene and hydrogen from step to give a gas stream ( 4, 41, 42) which comprises dinitrotoluene and hydrogen and has been depleted in liquid droplets; reaction of the dinitrotoluene present in the gas stream ( 4, 41, 42) which comprises dinitrotoluene and hydrogen and has been depleted in liquid droplets with hydrogen in at least one reaction space ( 3000, 3010, 3020) in the presence of a catalyst ( 100, 110, 120) at an absolute pressure of from 1.0 bar to 10 bar, a temperature of from 140°C to 300°C and a residence time in the reaction space of from 0.1 s to 10 s, so as to give a toluenediamine-containing gas stream ( 5, 51, 52), separation of the toluenediamine-containing gas stream ( 5, 52) obtained in step after passing through the last reaction space ( 3000, 3020) into a toluenediamine-comprising liquid phase and a hydrogen-comprising gas phase by condensation; recirculation of at least part of the hydrogen-comprising gas phase obtained in step into the first vaporization apparatus ( 1000, 1010) of step. spraying of a dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) into a hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) in a vaporization apparatus ( 1000, 1010, 1020), where a) the temperature of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 70°C to 150°C and the temperature of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 140°C to 300°C, b) the absolute pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 3.0 bar to 30 bar and the absolute pressure of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 1.0 bar to 10 bar, where the pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is higher than that of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22), c) the molar ratio of hydrogen to DNT is from 6.0:1 to 900:1, so as to give a stream ( 3, 31, 32) comprising dinitrotoluene and hydrogen; a) the temperature of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 70°C to 150°C and the temperature of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 140°C to 300°C, b) the absolute pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is from 3.0 bar to 30 bar and the absolute pressure of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22) is from 1.0 bar to 10 bar, where the pressure of the dinitrotoluene-comprising stream ( 1, 11, 12) is higher than that of the hydrogen-containing carrier gas stream ( 2, 21, 22), c) the molar ratio of hydrogen to DNT is from 6.0:1 to 900:1, removal or targeted decomposition of the liquid droplets present in the stream ( 3, 31, 32) comprising dinitrotoluene and hydrogen from step to give a gas stream ( 4, 41, 42) which comprises dinitrotoluene and hydrogen and has been depleted in liquid droplets; reaction of the dinitrotoluene present in the gas stream ( 4, 41, 42) which comprises dinitrotoluene and hydrogen and has been depleted in liquid droplets with hydrogen in at least one reaction space ( 3000, 3010, 3020) in the presence of a catalyst ( 100, 110, 120) at an absolute pressure of from 1.0 bar to 10 bar, a temperature of from 140°C to 300°C and a residence time in the reaction space of from 0.1 s to 10 s, so as to give a toluenediamine-containing gas stream ( 5, 51, 52), separation of the toluenediamine-containing gas stream ( 5, 52) obtained in step after passing through the last reaction space ( 3000, 3020) into a toluenediamine-comprising liquid phase and a hydrogen-comprising gas phase by condensation; recirculation of at least part of the hydrogen-comprising gas phase obtained in step into the first vaporization apparatus ( 1000, 1010) of step.