How to break 信じようとしていただけかも知れない into separate parts?


I tried, but I came up with either:

  1. 信じる(~よう(vol.)) + とする(~ていた(prog. past)) + だけ + かもしれない。
  2. 信じよう + として + いただける(stem) + かもしれない。

I highly doubt that second one is true, because かもしれない "takes" dictionary or
past forms, but I am nit sure what だけ would mean in this sentence.




> 信じようとしていただけかも知れない

### Pulling it apart

Let's break this down.

> 信じようとしていた

In turn, this phrase is:

  * 信じよう  
The volitional of 信じる.

  * と  
The particle.

  * して  
する in the conjunctive ～て form.

  * いた  
いる in the past tense / completed aspect.

The main meaning here is "had been trying to believe". The construction
`[VERB: volitional]`とする parses out to "try to `[VERB]`".

> だけ

"Only" or "just".

> かも知れない

In turn, this is:

  * か  
Question particle, also used in certain kinds of coordinating clauses.

  * も  
Inclusive particle: "even, also"

  * 知【し】れない  
知【し】る in the potential negative form.

The main meaning of the construction ～かもしれない is "I can't know [for sure] if
～", used idiomatically to mean "it might be ～".

### Putting it back together

Literally then, we have:

> 信じようとしていただけかも知れない  
>  believe `[VOL]` was doing only might be  
>  → was trying to believe only might be

Putting that into sensible English:

> It might only be that [someone] was trying to believe




> 信じようとしていただけかも知れない

### Pulling it apart

Let's break this down.

> 信じようとしていた

In turn, this phrase is:

  * 信じよう  
The volitional of 信じる.

  * と  
The particle.

  * して  
する in the conjunctive ～て form.

  * いた  
いる in the past tense / completed aspect.

The main meaning here is "had been trying to believe". The construction
`[VERB: volitional]`とする parses out to "try to `[VERB]`".

> だけ

"Only" or "just".

> かも知れない

In turn, this is:

  * か  
Question particle, also used in certain kinds of coordinating clauses.

  * も  
Inclusive particle: "even, also"

  * 知【し】れない  
知【し】る in the potential negative form.

The main meaning of the construction ～かもしれない is "I can't know [for sure] if
～", used idiomatically to mean "it might be ～".

### Putting it back together

Literally then, we have:

> 信じようとしていただけかも知れない  
>  believe `[VOL]` was doing only might be  
>  → was trying to believe only might be

Putting that into sensible English:

> It might only be that [someone] was trying to believe

