What is the meaning of 带着 in 红的辣中带着甜?

Question

家乡的萝卜有青、红、紫三种。三种萝卜看起来赏心悦目，吃起来，青的甜中带点儿辣，红的辣中带着甜，紫的像山泉般清淡可口。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19.

Please help me understand this part: 红的辣中带着甜. I have reached into that point: 红的(the red one)辣(spiciness)中(in)带着(?)甜(sweetness)

So, according to dictionaries, 带着 may mean: "having" (to have + continuation) and is pronounced dai4 zhe or just "to have" and pronounced dai4 zhuo2? Or something else?

Also, why doesn't the other part have the 着?

青的甜中带点儿辣

青的甜中带着点儿辣

Just you put it anywhere you can without significant change in meaning, and it is pronounced zhe?

Answer 1

带 has multiple meanings, these are relevant to your question: "carry", "bring" and "consists of".

• 红的(辣椒)辣中带着甜 - The red (pepper) is quite hot yet carries a little sweetness.

"着", when placed after a verb, either indicates an ongoing action or the continuation of the action; or, together with the verb, forms a preposition, which is usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause, in this case - the relation between the "甜" and the "红的(辣椒)". However, the meaning of the sentence remains understandable with or without it.

• 红的(辣椒)辣中带着甜 (more formal) = 红的(辣椒)辣中带甜 (often used in verbal conservation).

Similarly,

• 青的甜中带着点儿辣 = 青的甜中带点儿辣.

Answer 2

It is tempting to say 带着 = with, but it is a bit of a leap from one to the other!

zdic.net has:

(8) 具有某种标志或特征 [have]。

(1) 表示两个动作同时进行，相当于“又” [also]。

You could write: 红的辣中有甜
or write: 红的又辣又甜

家乡的萝卜有青、红、紫三种。
My hometown has three kinds of radish.
（这）三种萝卜看起来赏心悦目，
These three kinds of radish are all pleasing to look at,
吃起来，
(if you) eat them,
青的甜中带点儿辣，
the green one is sweet and a little hot,
红的辣中带着甜，
the red one is hot and sweet,
紫的像山泉般清淡可口。
the purple one has a flavour like mountain spring water, light and tasty.

Answer 3

From the text, it literally means "Brining" or "Bring in". Well... how to make sense in the context? It is: The red one (radish) taste hot/spiciness with sweetness. Or, in the complete expression: The red one taste mainly hot/spiciness, yet brining in/mixed in/carrying some sweetness with it.

Answer 4

Question:

家乡的萝卜有青、红、紫三种。三种萝卜看起来赏心悦目，吃起来，青的甜中带点儿辣，红的辣中带着甜，紫的像山泉般清淡可口。

This is from the Standard Course Book of HSK5, section 19.

Please help me understand this part: 红的辣中带着甜. I have reached into that point: 红的(the red one)辣(spiciness)中(in)带着(?)甜(sweetness)

So, according to dictionaries, 带着 may mean: "having" (to have + continuation) and is pronounced dai4 zhe or just "to have" and pronounced dai4 zhuo2? Or something else?

Also, why doesn't the other part have the 着?

青的甜中带点儿辣

青的甜中带着点儿辣

Just you put it anywhere you can without significant change in meaning, and it is pronounced zhe?

Answer:

Translation of

“ 家乡的萝卜有青、红、紫三种。三种萝卜看起来赏心悦目，吃起来，青的甜中带点儿辣，红的辣中带着甜，紫的像山泉般清淡可口。”

“In my hometown, radishes are of 3 types (there are 3 types of radishes). They are pleasing to the eye (& to the mind as well). The green ones taste sweat with a spicy tinge; the red ones spicy with a tinge of sweetness; the purple ones taste like spring water in the mountains, delicate & palatable.”

1. 带着or带here means “carry, have, or simply with”;

2. Pronounced: dai4 zhe. 着is always weak;

3. 带点儿辣 or 带着点儿辣or带辣or带着辣；带着甜 or 带甜or带点儿甜or带着点儿甜 are all interchangeable：

i青的甜中带点儿辣，红的辣中带着甜

ii青的甜中带着点儿辣，红的辣中带甜

iii青的甜中带辣，红的辣中带点儿甜

iv青的甜中带着辣，红的辣中带着点儿甜

All these combinations are OK. But the first combination is the most poetic/rhythmic choice : 带点儿辣。。。。。。带着甜。 The fourth one is the next choice poetically/rhythmically 青的甜中带着辣，红的辣中带点儿甜。

It could be seen from the pairs 带着辣。。。。带点儿甜 Or 带点儿辣。。。。带着甜 (author’s choice), when in one of the pair 着is used, in the other one of the pair 点儿would be used. Otherwise, 带着点儿辣。。。带着点儿甜would be repetitive and sounds boring.

(还）有or（还）有点儿 could also be used instead of 带or 带着。e.g.辣中（还）有（点儿）甜。But you can’t use 有着here. You can only use 有(点儿）+adjective。有着must be followed by a noun. This is unlike 带（着）which could be followed by either adjective or noun.