Dit is die derde fase.

Dit is is the normal Afrikaans way to say it is or this is, depending on context.

In this sentence, dit is the subject and is is the verb to be.
So the structure is very close to English:

• Dit = it / this
• is = is

Afrikaans often uses dit in places where English might use either it or this.

Die is the Afrikaans definite article, meaning the.

So die derde fase means the third phase.

A useful thing for English speakers to know is that Afrikaans does not change the definite article for gender or number:

• die man = the man
• die vrou = the woman
• die kinders = the children

So die always stays die.

No. Afrikaans does not have grammatical gender in the way many European languages do.

That means nouns are not classified as masculine, feminine, or neuter for article purposes. You do not need to learn different forms of the depending on the noun.

So fase is just a noun, and it takes die like other definite nouns.

Yes. Derde is the ordinal number meaning third.

Afrikaans ordinal numbers are often formed with -de or -ste, but some are irregular enough that it is best to learn them individually. Common ones are:

• eerste = first
• tweede = second
• derde = third
• vierde = fourth
• vyfde = fifth

So drie means three, while derde means third.

Because cardinal numbers and ordinal numbers are different forms.

Just as English has:

• three
• third

Afrikaans has:

• drie
• derde

So derde is not unusual; it is simply the correct ordinal form.

Afrikaans verbs are much simpler than English verbs. In the present tense, the verb usually does not change according to the subject.

For the verb wees (to be), you get:

• Ek is = I am
• Jy is = you are
• Hy is = he is
• Ons is = we are
• Hulle is = they are

So is stays the same. This is one of the easier parts of Afrikaans grammar for English speakers.

A simple learner-friendly approximation is:

dit is dee DARE-duh FAH-suh

A few pronunciation notes:

• dit: short i, like in English sit
• is: similar to English iss
• die: in Afrikaans this is usually pronounced like dee, not like English die
• derde: the r is usually rolled or tapped lightly; the final e is a schwa-like sound
• fase: two syllables, FAA-suh

The biggest surprise for many English speakers is that die is pronounced dee.

Yes. In everyday speech and writing, Dit is is very often contracted to Dis.

So you may see:

• Dit is die derde fase.
• Dis die derde fase.

Both are correct.
Dis is simply more natural in casual use.

This sentence uses the basic Afrikaans main-clause word order:

Subject + verb + the rest

So:

• Dit = subject
• is = verb
• die derde fase = complement

That is very similar to English.

Afrikaans does have some word-order rules that differ from English in longer sentences, especially when another element comes first, but this sentence is straightforward and basic.

Yes, fase is a normal Afrikaans noun meaning phase.

Its plural is fases:

• die fase = the phase
• die fases = the phases

This is fairly typical for many Afrikaans nouns borrowed from international vocabulary.

Yes, but it changes the nuance a little.

• Dit is die derde fase = It is / This is the third phase
• Hierdie is die derde fase = This here is the third phase / This is the third phase

Hierdie is more explicitly this.
Dit is more neutral and extremely common.

So the original sentence is perfectly natural, and probably the most basic way to say it.