Before we describe the phases of the Moon, let's describe what they're not. Some people mistakenly believe the phases come from Earth's shadow cast on the Moon. Others think that the Moon changes shape due to clouds. These are common misconceptions, but they're not true. Instead, the Moon's phase depends only on its position relative to Earth and the Sun.
The Moon doesn't make its own light, it just reflects the Sun's light as all the planets do. The Sun always illuminates one half of the Moon. Since the Moon is tidally locked, we always see the same side from Earth, but there's no permanent "dark side of the Moon." The Sun lights up different sides of the Moon as it orbits around Earth – it's the fraction of the Moon from which we see reflected sunlight that determines the lunar phase.
