The invention relates to a method for the production of tertiary amines by reaction of secondary amines with aromatics or heteroaromatics in the presence of a base, a nickel or palladium compound and one or several phosphines, dialkoxy-, and/or diaryloxyphosphines in an inert solvent.Aromatic or heteroaromatics of this type play an important role in industry as reagents or intermediates for pharmaceuticals and agrochemicals and in diverse fine and electronics chemicals, above all in the rapidly growing field of organic semi-conductors, in particular in organic or polymeric light diodes, organic solar cells and organic ICs.