我们不能选择从哪里来，却能选择往哪里去。

We can't choose where we come from, but we can choose where we go from there.

Source: Tatoeba

Sentence Composition

1 我们 wǒmen we; us; ourselves; our
2 不能 bùnéng
  1. cannot
  2. must not
  3. should not
3 选择 xuǎnzé
  1. to select; to pick
  2. choice; option; alternative
=4 从 cóng variant of 從 cóng
=4 从 Cóng surname Cong
=4 从 cóng
  1. from; through; via
  2. (bound form) to follow
  3. (bound form) to obey
  4. (bound form) to engage in (an activity)
  5. (used before a negative) ever
  6. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) retainer; attendant
  7. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) assistant; auxiliary; subordinate
  8. (bound form) (Taiwan pr. zòng) related by common paternal grandfather or earlier ancestor
=5 哪里 nǎlǐ
  1. where?
  2. somewhere
  3. anywhere
  4. wherever
  5. nowhere (negative answer to question)
  6. humble expression denying compliment
  7. also written 哪裡
=5 哪里 nǎlǐ
  1. where?
  2. somewhere
  3. anywhere
  4. wherever
  5. nowhere (negative answer to question)
  6. humble expression denying compliment
6 来 lái
  1. to come
  2. (used as a substitute for a more specific verb)
  3. hither (directional complement for motion toward the speaker, as in 回來 huílai)
  4. ever since (as in 自古以來 zìgǔyǐlái)
  5. for the past (amount of time)
  6. (prefix) the coming ...; the next ... (as in 來世 láishì)
  7. (between two verbs) in order to
  8. (after a round number) approximately
  9. (used after 得 dé to indicate possibility, as in 談得來 tándelái, or after 不 bù to indicate impossibility, as in 吃不來 chībulái)
=7 却 què old variant of 卻 què
=7 却 què
  1. but
  2. yet
  3. however
  4. while
  5. to go back
  6. to decline
  7. to retreat
  8. nevertheless
  9. even though
=7 却 qū
  1. to catch
  2. to dispel
  3. to hold up with both hands
=8 能 Néng surname Neng
=8 能 néng
  1. can
  2. to be able to
  3. might possibly
  4. ability
  5. (physics) energy
=8 能 nài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 耐 (“to bear; to withstand”)
  2. a surname
  3. alternative form of 耐 (“to bear; to withstand”)
=8 能 tái
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 台 (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
  2. alternative form of 台 (“name of a Chinese constellation”)
=8 能 tài
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 態 /态 (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
  2. alternative form of 態 /态 (tài, “bearing; apparition; form; shape; status; position”)
=8 能 nái
  1. (obsolete) mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
  2. mythical three-legged soft-shelled turtle
=8 能 tāi
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
  2. only used in 能始 (tāishǐ, “origin; root cause”)
=8 能 xióng
  1. (obsolete on its own in Standard Chinese) alternative form of 熊 (xióng, “bear”)
  2. alternative form of 熊 (xióng, “bear”)
9 选择 xuǎnzé
  1. to select; to pick
  2. choice; option; alternative
=10 往 wǎng
  1. to go (in a direction)
  2. to
  3. towards
  4. (of a train) bound for
  5. past
  6. previous
=10 往 wǎng old variant of 往 wǎng
=11 哪里 nǎlǐ
  1. where?
  2. somewhere
  3. anywhere
  4. wherever
  5. nowhere (negative answer to question)
  6. humble expression denying compliment
  7. also written 哪裡
=11 哪里 nǎlǐ
  1. where?
  2. somewhere
  3. anywhere
  4. wherever
  5. nowhere (negative answer to question)
  6. humble expression denying compliment
12 去 qù
  1. to go
  2. to go to (a place)
  3. (of a time etc) last
  4. just passed
  5. to send
  6. to remove
  7. to get rid of
  8. to reduce
  9. to be apart from in space or time
  10. to die (euphemism)
  11. to play (a part)
  12. (when used either before or after a verb) to go in order to do sth
  13. (after a verb of motion indicates movement away from the speaker)
  14. (used after certain verbs to indicate detachment or separation)